The New Generation: Elites
by MaverickBuff
Summary: Political wars are brewing, and Hiroshi needs to protect those he loves from being pawns in their scheme. When the time comes, will he sacrifice his humanity for the sake of his beliefs, or will he follow his own creed for the sake of the one he loves?
1. Prologue: Midnight Call

_Warning: This fanfic is a sequel to The New Generation: Students and The new Generation: Shinobis. It can be read by itself, but certain things are better understood after reading the prequels first._

**Prologue: Midnight Call**

A young man could be seen sitting at a stall in the middle of the Sand village, feasting on the barbequed meats he had been served. He was having a generous portion on his plate, his meal laced with chili and spices, the sizzling hot meal perfect for a freezing night, especially tonight in the village of the Sand. Temperatures have dropped below freezing point, and the young man needed something to keep him warmed up. Barbeque and spicy food was the way to go.

" Hey, old man, I think you gave me extra. I didn't ask for barbeque gizzards," the young man spoke in a deep, heavy voice as he suddenly noticed an oddity in his plate.

The old man who owned the stall turned around and spoke to him. " Oh…an extra for my valuable customer. Only old timers my age keep this stall running most of the time. I'm glad at least some of you young boys still visit my stall," the old man replied, laughing slightly.

" Hey, geezer, I'm not a boy anymore. I'm 19 this year, remember that," the young man replied, thumbing his chest while speaking with his mouth full. Surprisingly, he still managed to keep all the food in his mouth.

" Oh ho ho ho…an old man like me can't remember simple things like this anymore…" the old man replied as he continued to clean his utensils. At this time of the night, there would be no more customers coming to the stall now. The young man managed to reach the stall in time for the owner to cook him one last meal before closing up. " …How time flies. Seeing you this grown up reminds me I only have so few years life to go."

" Pfft, people like you, you will probably live until you are 120 years old. Heck, when I become a grandfather, I bet you will still be hanging around here somewhere," the young man replied. Knowing the owner personally allowed him to address him in such a crude fashion, but the owner knew him well enough that it was his personality to act like this. " Why are we reminiscing about the past? I'm not that old yet to be doing this kind of nonsense."

" Oh, don't say that, Hibiki. You were cute as a kid," the old man replied.

" Tch, whatever," Hibiki replied, finishing his meal, before spotting a small photograph that the owner hung on the side of his stall. " I can't believe you still have that photo after all these years."

It was a picture of Hibiki and his entire family when they were still alive. They visited the stall one day, the owner and Hibiki's father being good acquaintances with one another. In it was a 7 year old Gendou Hibiki, short, quiet looking with the 'nice-boy' look, and all his current scars on his body missing in the picture.

The Hibiki now was a far cry from the old kid from before. Hibiki stood a massive 6 feet tall, towering over a large number of his friends and companions now. He had an excellent build, all coming from the vigorous and disciplined training he always observed, his sinewy muscles always showing prominently when he wore tight fitting clothing. His dark green hair was now a massive crop of thick, wild hair. His body was still fairly scarred, always not wanting to allow it to heal nicely just because he saw his injuries as a mark of honour and bravery.

Hibiki hated wearing the standard issue Sand vest that was given to all shinobis when they attain the rank of Chuunin. His first, and last one, was given to him 6 years ago, and it was hanging in some closet of his in his home, collecting dust as it lay untouched ever since Hibiki got the vest.

Instead, he was usually dressed in a sleeveless shirt along with a leather jacket. Not only does he still have the two weapon holsters to keep his shurikens and kunais on his thighs, he had them modified, adding extra space and compartments, despite him almost never seen using a kunai or a shuriken.

On his back were two spears, one was his old original one he found in the academy's armoury. Despite the lack of maintenance, it still managed to stay intact all these years. Hibiki figured that it should have broken somehow by now, assuming a weapon stored in the armoury for the use of academy students shouldn't be seeing this much use, violence, and force in his line of work. Yet, it still stayed functional, and sharp. Hibiki sometimes wondered if he somehow stole a high-end weapon instead of a normal one. Hibiki called it 'Tsuki', which was literally what it actually functions as. He felt bad for his weapon, only giving it a name after so many years despite it being a personal weapon. If the weapon had a soul, it sure as hell would be disappointed in its master.

The second one was a newer one, given to him by a good Leaf-nin during his promotion to a jounin 2 years ago. It was made with some alloy in which Hibiki had absolutely no idea until today what metals it comprises of, but it was a sturdy weapon. It had an intricate carving of a dragon on the hilt, and a sharp pointed tip. Perhaps calling it a spear would be misleading, as it functions more as a javelin, as it was crafted mainly to be used in throwing at an enemy. When it was first given to him, Hibiki was irked at the light red tone it had, which looked slightly pink. Thus, in honour to the weapons more feminine side, Hibiki named it 'Hime'.

" Finished already?" the old man replied as Hibiki pushed the plate away from him as he got up.

" Yeah, thanks, old man. I'll be off now," Hibiki replied, breaking off into a quick walk as he went on his way.

The night life in the Sand village was quiet one. Hibiki could only spot a few people walking around, mostly middle-aged men, half of them usually drunk at this time of the night. He made his way towards the entrance of his village, where a lone shinobi was waiting, leaning on the wall, a thermos flash in his hand as he sipped on something warm.

" Yo, Makoto, is she back yet?" Hibiki asked.

The shinobi merely turned and look at him, not that Makoto could actually see. He rarely uses his eyes, due to a defect he suffered, and it was hidden behind his forehead protector. Thus, Makoto usually 'see' things using his ears. In fact, he had the uncanny ability to 'hear' things so well, it was hard to convince strangers he didn't actually have X-ray vision when he carried on his daily life.

Makoto was always dressed in the standard issue Sand shinobi uniform, mainly because he was a ranking officer in the administration circle now, and it was hardly proper for him to parade around in anything besides the standard attire. Still, perhaps due to him being slightly rebellious, he gelled his hair to make it spiky, standing upwards like a punk. Perhaps it was his way of trying to look different compared to the other shinobis wearing the standard issue vest, although having his eyes covered with his forehead protector was more than enough to make him stand out in a crowd.

" If she was back, I wouldn't be here sipping hot chocolate when I can be sleeping in a warm bed, no?" Makoto mused quietly.

" Your sarcasm doesn't work on me. Don't attempt it," Hibiki replied.

" Hey, I didn't know you guys were waiting…" a feminine voice spoke up.

" I have perfect timing as usual," Hibiki spoke, mainly to himself.

The figure of a young woman appeared before them, looking a little dirty and disheveled from all the travelling she had to do. Hibiki had to admit that Suzumi had grown into a fine young woman. He had decided to keep her hair long this time, tying it in a ponytail that hung down on her back so that it will not get in the way during a hectic situation. She still managed to somehow retain very fair skin despite staying in a desert village. Hibiki could not even vaguely remember the time when she still had a flat chest whenever he looked at her now.

" Lucky bastard…" Hibiki mused, referring to someone he knew personally.

" Nothing to it, we were just worried," Makoto replied.

Suzumi started to pout at them, and despite her age, she still always looked cute when she did that. " Whaaat? I can't believe you people have so little faith in my abilities. It's not like I have not taken a dangerous mission before, you know," Suzumi replied, huffing.

" Aww, it's not like that…so, how was your first mission as a jounin like?" Hibiki asked.

" Nothing to it, really. After all, I am pretty skilled, if I can say so myself," she replied. " That reminds me, I haven't told my parents of my promotion as of yet. Oh boy, it has been days since then."

" Don't bother, it's not like they don't know it already," Hibiki replied.

" How rude, I need to tell my parents personally," Suzumi replied. " How did Hiroshi go? I heard he did it at the same time as I did."

" Naturally, as expected. Being a specialist helps, I guess, but it's not like you doubted him, right?" Makoto replied.

" No, of course not. He would have become a jounin regardless. I feel happy for him," Suzumi replied, blushing slightly.

" That's great, but I feel the Hokage might be pushing him a bit too hard, even with his promotion. I heard our good friends in the Leaf got stuck with some dangerous mission, and this was after Hiroshi became a jounin," Hibiki replied.

Makoto looked at him curiously, raising his eyebrows. " Hmm, this is news to me," Makoto replied.

" Well, I don't know whether to believe it or not, cos it's more like a rumour, but apparently they needed to send something, a package of sorts. I don't know the contents, but apparently it was highly classified. I can only assume the package has something to do with Hiroshi's line of work, since it would be strange to give a newly promoted jounin a job like this," Hibik replied, sounding slightly worried.

" Really? I wonder what kind of package would require Hiroshi's skill," Suzumi mused.

" Apparently, I heard it was a bouquet of flowers. Roses, I think, very typical of him. To be sent to a certain Miss Nagato in the Sand village. I can't imagine the danger he has to go through to send the flowers," Hibiki replied with a straight face. " Can you imagine? The flowers would have dried up by then."

Makoto and Suzumi looked at Hibiki when he was done speaking, nodding his head in affirmation.

" Oh, you sly devil!" Suzumi exclaimed, her face obviously blushing despite the lack of light.

" Eh? When did they say they were coming?" Makoto replied.

" Today. They'll be arriving in three days time," Hibiki replied, running away from Suzumi as she attempted to kick him in the groin.

-

" Ah, I'm tired. After a good soak in the bath, I'm going off to sleep. I'll report in tomorrow when I have the time. It's good to see you two as well. Have a good night," Suzumi bade her friends goodbye as they escorted her to her home, as they waved at her. She entered her house, and both Hibiki and Makoto started to walk off.

Hibiki instantly threw his hands over Makoto in a friendly manner. Makoto looked at him, wondering what was up. " What is it that you want? Speak up, and stop grinning at me like that. It's giving my goosebumps, especially more so in the cold," Makoto replied.

" Come on, let's go drinking," Hibiki suggested.

" I must respectfully decline. Unlike you, I do not have a high tolerance to alcohol, and also, I like to watch my intake. Alcohol in large amounts is bad for health. Not to mention I am not in the mood for it anyway…" Makoto replied.

" Oi, now that you have a partner, this doesn't mean you can diss me and go drinking with her instead, you know?" Hibiki replied.

" Sorry, Mayuri doesn't drink as well," Makoto replied.

" Please, with some crude crystal we call sugar sprinkled in copious amounts on top?" Hibiki begged.

" Nope, don't bother me with drinking unless you can pay me a million ryou up front. Besides, if all goes well, your drinking partner should be coming in like three days, so I suggest you…"

Makoto was suddenly cut short when he heard a muffled cry of pain, followed by the sound of what sounded like a breaking vase. Both men stopped in their tracks when they heard the noise.

" …Did you hear that?" Makoto asked.

" Loud and clear," Hibiki replied tersely, his hand reaching to his back, grabbing hold of Tsuki.

Both of them instantly dashed back towards the entrance of Suzumi's house, bracing themselves. They had absolutely no idea what the hell happened, but from the sound of it, it could not be good at all.

" Five people, two straight ahead," Makoto replied.

Hibiki charged in without waiting. He burst through the front door, breaking it into bits as he charged into the living room like an exploding tornado. He was suddenly hit by darkness, since the entire living room was devoid of light. First thing he felt was something warm and wet on the floor.

His heart almost stopped when he saw the sight of a female body lying dead on the floor, face down with the head missing from her neck. Missing was probably a bad word to use. The woman's head was still there, except something seemed to have crushed it like an egg, splattering her head's contents on the sticky goo Hibiki seemed to be standing on right now.

" …Fuck…" Hibiki muttered as he realized that he was now standing on what remains of Suzumi's mom.

As soon as he noticed her, something flew past his head from in front of the courtyard of Suzumi's mansion. Hibiki ducked and ran forward, bursting into plain view in the middle of the courtyard. Two shadowy figures stood in the courtyard, kunais in their hands. They were dressed entirely in black, or either that there wasn't enough light for Hibiki to make out colour distinctively. They weren't the only ones. Despite Hibiki's inability to see, or detect shinobis at his level, he could still sense other shinobis within the house itself, possibly three more.

He suddenly leaped at them, only to stop all of a sudden. Hibiki wasn't sure why, but his entire body suddenly froze up, as if there were invisible chains holding him in place. His muscles refused to respond to his movements, and he could only stand stupidly in the middle of the courtyard.

Three other shinobis stepped out into the courtyard. Hibiki heard something come from behind him, only to halt in his tracks, most probably Makoto. One of the shinobis looked at him casually, as if Hibiki was not even there.

" We have wasted enough time here. Let's escape!" the man replied, and all five shinobis suddenly left the courtyard, jumping up on the wall and leaping away into the night sky.

As soon as the shinobis left, Hibiki suddenly found out that he could move again, all the while being irked at the situation. " Oh, that guy didn't even make an attempt on me! How dare he humiliate me like this! I'm going to…"

" Stop it, we need to find Suzumi!" Makoto replied, grabbing him and stopping him from running off as he looked like he was more than ready to charge blindly after them. " Stop! Help me find Suzumi, please!"

Hibiki merely grunted, breaking free, before following Makoto back into the house. They didn't need to search for long. Suzumi could be found in the dining room, her bloody body sprawled on top of her father's, both of them unmoving. Makoto and Hibiki were not sure if they were ready for the worst scenario. Makoto gingerly bent down next to her, touching her slightly.

" Suzumi…she's…" Makoto mused, just before a group of shinobis from the Sand village burst into the room, as if just on cue.

_Writer's note: Probably the longest prologue I have written as of yet. After a 4 year timeskip, I wanted to devote a few chapters to showing how my main characters have developed over the time period, but considering the plot I have planned for this story, it would make it ridiculously long, and very tiresome, so I opted to start the story off with a bang._


	2. Chapter 1: Lost

**Chapter 1: Lost**

The surface of the water exploded violently, just before a figure emerged from it, running off towards the bank in a hurried manner. He ran quickly over the way, using chakra control to enable him to run across the surface of the water. He stopped some distance away, watching as someone suddenly floated to the surface, coming upwards as if she was climbing up from the watery depths below.

The female figure suddenly dashed at him, the speed at which she was moving at parted the water of the large massive river, as if it blew up in her wake. The male figure parried the blow as she came sailing towards him, slamming her arms towards his face. Despite the force she applied, he was still able to withstand her blow.

" Sora, cut it out this very instant! If you continue this further..." the male snarled at the female named Sora.

" So what, Hiroshi?! What are you going to make me do?" Sora asked, laughing loudly.

" Oi, what are you idiots doing?!" another voice called out from behind them.

Sora and Hiroshi broke off immediately, only to see Ryouta standing at the river bank, smiling at them while shaking his head. Sora was laughing gleefully, while Hiroshi looked very irritated, looking at his now wet clothes.

" Don't ask me. I was trying to get some fresh water when this moron jumped on me," Hiroshi replied. " You are damn lucky we are crossing the desert soon, and my clothes will dry soon. Crazy woman."

" Aww, I was just having some fun," Sora replied, laughing it off.

" Hardly. You are probably just jealous that I've become a jounin," Hiroshi muttered.

" Bah...although I should say that's an excellent achievement from someone who was practically dead last in the academy," Sora replied. " Congrats, our village must be desperate to make you a jounin."

" Sora, don't belittle Hiroshi's capabilities. The jounin council had every reason to promote Hiroshi to a jounin. Honestly, he was fairly capable at a jounin level even from before, perhaps only lacking in some experience," Ryouta rebuked her. " Oh, and before I forget, I need to ask what did you get him?"

" Huh?" Sora mused.

" For Hiroshi's promotion. I'm sure you would have gotten something for him, right?" Ryouta asked.

" ...What did you give?" Sora questioned.

Hiroshi drew out a small blade, before sticking it on the ground before him as he sat down and checked his stuff, making sure they were fine despite having been soaked in water. " A neat weapon, considering now that I can use elemental manipulation properly," Hiroshi replied. " So, do you have one or not?"

" Sheeh, demanding, aren't you?" Sora mused, before digging into her pack and taking out a packet and tossing it to Hiroshi. Hiroshi took a good look at it. In it was apparently some sort of white powder.

" ...Is this...?"

" It's not what you think it is, punk. I know you have been doing some research on poisons. I took the effort to go north to collect some samples of the nuts you sorely needed, and even grinding them into the powdered form you needed," Sora replied with a huff. " Now, say thank you."

Hiroshi merely looked at the packet, before keeping it and continuing with whatever he was doing previously.

" Oi, I said say thank you, to me!" Sora shouted at him.

Hiroshi looked at her and made a face. " Sheeh, demanding, aren't you?" Hiroshi mused.

-

The three of them continued to make their way towards the Sand village. They weren't there on any official business, but they somehow managed to bug their Hokage until she gave in and allowed them to go. Hiroshi was especially more than eager to go to the Sand village, because this would mean that he would be able to meet his sweetheart Suzumi. Their relationship had been progressing at a very slow rate, since they didn't get too many chances to meet up with one another as they come from different villages. Still, they had silently promised themselves for each other, and Hiroshi was patient enough to wait for her.

With Hiroshi's promotion, this meant that all six of them, including their Sand comrades, were now full-fledged jounins, elite shinobis of their own respective villages. It was a fairly good accomplishment for someone of their age, as they were all only 19 years of age. Ryouta got his promotion first, which was right after the event that transpired four years ago where they had to escort a Grass lord's daughter, Lady Kaguya, back to her home country to avoid a civil war. Ryouta got the promotion as he managed to lead their team to successfully return Lady Kaguya in one piece.

Ryouta had been offered a position in ANBU, to serve as one of the captains, but he declined the offer, because to enter ANBU was to separate himself from his old teammates, something he was still reluctant to do, and it was to Hiroshi's relief that he didn't accept it. There was no one more capable than Ryouta to pull off any type of mission presented to them. With Shikamaru officially resigning from their team once Ryouta became an official jounin, Ryouta had been officially delegated as their team's leader, which was an obvious choice, for their three man team.

Ryouta's name was now spreading far and wide, and almost everyone in all countries have at least heard of the name of the one called the Phoenix of Konoha. Ryouta's exploits went far and wide, his most famous fight was during one stormy night in the Waterfall country. Ryouta had been sent along with some other people to deal with some rogue assassination cell made up of missing-nins. Word was that he managed to kill four jounin level shinobis single-handedly. Whenever people asked him about the matter, Ryouta would merely smile at them and shrug his shoulders.

Ryouta had grown up to become a fine, young man, with sharp handsome features any girl would want to die for. He had a well-built body, which was kept in an excellent shape. His crop of dark red hair swayed on his head whenever the wind blew, and the looks on his deep blue eyes showed that he had grown up and seen a lot of things in his life, which gave him a very mature look. He was the only one among their team to wear the standard Leaf tactical vest.

Sora was fairly famous as well, in a bad kind of way. Sora had yet to relinquish her violent and volatile nature, and picking fights at random was her forte. Her love for fighting had not diminished over the years, but in fact, according to Hiroshi's account, probably grew exponentially over the years. She loved scaring the students at the academy, despite having some of the them looking up to her, especially the females in the group, since they saw a very independent and brave kunoichi, but no doubt dangerous, in Sora.

Sora is known to be the only Leaf kunoichi to ever master a whole slew of sound techniques obtained from their old enemies, the Sound-nins. Slightly frowned upon, but nevertheless, everyone didn't mind since Sora would always get the job done. Hiroshi was always worried about her using her techniques which were potentially harmful, but since she had kept to her promise to wear most of the custom made stuff made by Hiroshi, like her fingerless gloves and bandages that were wrapped around her chest and arms to soften the damage from channelling sound energies, he tried not to pester her too much about watching out for her body.

Sora still kept her silver hair short, regarding long hair as a sign of feminity, which to her was a sign of weakness. However, as an interesting touch, after becoming a jounin, she did get her ears pierced, and wore earrings from time to time, which was a source of entertainment for them for a while since this was highly unusual, since she was pretty much a tomboy anyway, and her attire said it all. Dressed in a tank-top, short jeans and some pack strapped to her belt, she would have looked like a very pretty guy if not for the presence of her breasts on her chest.

Hiroshi managed to pass the qualifications to become a jounin about a week ago. Unlike the Chuunin exam, where nominations were set by the jounin instructor, the selection for a jounin was done by the jounin council. Hiroshi managed to get an 80% approval vote from the 65% require to enter the exam. It was far more gruelling than the Chuunin exams, having the need to pass multiple written examinations and practicals that lasted two weeks. He was pretty much dead tired by the end of it, and he was grateful he didn't need to sit it all again when they said he passed.

Hiroshi was also promoted to an assistant medical researcher of the Leaf, which meant he had a lot of responsibilities now. Not only did he function as a medic, he also did a lot of research in medicine, looking up techniques, cures and antidote, and the likes. This was also coupled by the fact he was one of the best weapon manufacturers of his village, and this was the very reason why he had a bounty on his head.

His bounty had now grown to 45 million ryou now, and Shikamaru was not kidding when he said people will be after his head. Hiroshi had a run in with at least 15 attempts since his bounty was issued, and he was not allowed to leave the village unless he was minimally accompanied with either his two teammates, or someone else of equal rank and skill. Still, Hiroshi was a fairly competent combatant anyway, and he excelled in deception, which was good for running away from people who were after his head.

Hiroshi figured that he was blessed with good eyes, since he had to spend long hours in the library, most of the time in the middle of the night, reading through medical texts and research papers, along with other academic stuff, and yet his vision was still strangely perfect. He had a habit of wearing a thick cloak this time which covered most of his body, usually a long cotton one in his favourite colour, marine blue. He found it easier to slip out his weapon scrolls and puppets much more discreetly, not to mention he could hide his hands easier when he fought, allowing to conceal his movements somewhat, least someone decided to read his puppets attacks by observing his fingers.

" Holy cow, there it is!" Sora exclaimed, pointing towards the front.

The Sand village lay before them, sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of the desert. It hadn't changed much, and if it did, all three of them couldn't possibly see the difference. The architecture was bland anyway, and downright boring. Hiroshi always wondered if the Sand-nins ever got sick of the monotonous colour.

All of them made their way towards the front entrance. A few guards met them there, and after checking their identification, allowed them to enter. Sora started to skip around happily as she entered the village.

" Oh for God's sake, please act your age," Hiroshi groaned, noticing people were looking at them. " Ryouta, stop her!"

" She listens to you more, and if she doesn't, what am I supposed to do?" he replied, laughing out loud.

" Damn, you are useless..." Hiroshi moaned.

All three of them walked through the streets. Hiroshi wasn't sure where to head off first, so Ryouta suggested that they either visit one of their companions houses, and since most of the time, due to the company and space, the guys hung around Suzumi's home, they decided to visit her home first.

" Can we buy something to eat?" Sora asked.

" I just made you something to eat in less than two hours. Is your stomach an infinite black hole?" Hiroshi mused. " And my answer is yes, provided you pay for it yourself. Stop scrounging off Ryouta and me. You are by far much more well off than the two of us."

" Scrooge," Sora mused.

" We can get something to eat later, and let our Sand friends pay for it, so why don't we find them, huh?" Ryouta replied, before noticing something. " Hmm, speak of the devil, I think...nope, I can see Suzumi in front of us."

And Ryouta was right. Right in front of them was Suzumi, walking through the crowd, as if idly walking past, looking at all the stall nearby. She was strangely alone, since she was usually seen with at least Makoto, Hibiki, or one of her academy friends. Still, they were delighted to see her so quickly. Sora instantly ran up to her before either boys could even stop her.

Without warning, Sora suddenly caught Suzumi from behind, hugging her tightly while rubbing her cheeks on a visibly surprised Suzumi. " Ooohhh, I haven't done this in a while...Suzumi, how I you? Your sister misses you," Sora replied in an almost girlish voice, or as girlish as she could make her voice go.

Suzumi reacted in a way none of them had expected: she screamed, hysterically.

Sora instantly released her as if she had ignited a bomb, but Suzumi would not stop screaming. Everyone in the entire street was now looking at the scene now, Suzumi's scream piercing all of their ears painfully. Hiroshi didn't even know she could hurt them in such a way, and from the looks of it, she didn't seem like she was about to stop. Worst, from the sound of it, it sounded as if she was screaming in fear.

" Suzumi...I'm sorry...please stop...I'm sorry..." Sora pleaded, and when Suzumi didn't show any signs of slowing down. " Oh, fuck this! If this is some sort of joke, even I won't be vaguely amused! Hiroshi, do something before your girlfriend breaks my eardrums!"

Ryouta and Hiroshi were stumped, not too sure what to do. Perhaps totally taken aback by Suzumi's sudden terrified reaction towards seeing them, they could only stand where they were while looking at Suzumi, their hands to their ears. Hiroshi was only brought back to his senses when all of a sudden Suzumi started to add words to her screams, namely the words " Help me" being repeated very loudly over and over again.

..._What?...What has happened to Suzumi?..._Hiroshi thought to himself, unable to believe the girl standing while screaming her head off was the Suzumi he knew. Rushing up to her, he suddenly grabbed hold of her shoulder while trying to shake her. " Stop this, Suzumi! Why are you screaming?! We are..."

He didn't get to finish his message, because Suzumi's hand started to glow a faint blue colour all of a sudden. He recognised it as the standard technique when applying healing jutsus. She raised her arm upwards, before bringing it down with an insane amount of force on his left arm.

Hiroshi could only stand there, practically paralysed as she smashed and sliced his arm to bits, tearing his cloak's left side to shreds. Her hands now mimicked the sharpness of a scalpel, which could easily tear through his body. He was God damned lucky that she managed to destroy his puppet arm, as it shatters to bits the instant she touched him, and she could have easily destroyed his other arm just as easily.

However, the thing that paralysed Hiroshi was not the attack, but the look in Suzumi's eyes when she looked at him. Fear was evident in her eyes, but the thing that he noticed the most was this disgusting hatred that seemed to be seeping out from her body.

" ...Suzumi?" Hiroshi could only gasp as she raised her hand, aiming for his neck this time.

Sora and Ryouta reacted instantly, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him backwards. Still, Suzumi was surprisingly quick enough to hit Hiroshi, nicking his neck slightly even as Sora and Ryouta pulled Hiroshi away from danger. Blood spurted from his neck from the cut, but Hiroshi was lucky it wasn't a deep cut. An extra half a centimetre, he would have probably died from the resulting bloodloss.

" Suzumi, are you...?!"

Suzumi didn't give Sora the time to reply. She launched herself at them, like a frenzied beast, kicking both Ryouta and Sora aside, falling backwards in a heap. She then pounced on Hiroshi like an expert hunter, grabbing him by the lapels of his cloak as she sat on top of his body, his neck bleeding from the cut she gave him, her arms raised, with the intent of killing him on the spot.

Only to be saved when Hibiki and Makoto appeared out of nowhere to catch Suzumi just as she was about to kill Hiroshi.

Both of them grabbed an arm each, and using another free arm, grabbed her by the neck, and slammed her onto a wall, pinning her hard as she tried to break free. Hiroshi had never seen Suzumi overpower any of them before, as in terms of strength she was the weakest amongst all of them, yet now, even with Hibiki and Makoto's combined strength, she seemed to be forcing them to use all their strength to withhold her back. In fact, given enough time, she would probably break free.

" Guys!" Ryouta exclaimed, getting up and moving towards them.

" Stop! Stay right there if you value your life!" Hibiki shot back.

" Suzumi! Stop! It's alright, they are your friends...look at me, I am not lying...calm down...please..." Makoto begged.

Upon hearing his voice, like magic, she stopped struggling, before collapsing on the ground, panting heavily, her eyes totally unfocused. Sora helped Hiroshi up, allowing him to heal his neck, least he fainted from blood loss.

" Oi, what the fuck is this shit all about?! That was so not funny! I'm going to break a couple of kneecaps unless someone explain to me what the hell just happened!" Sora spat sounding angry.

Makoto raised his hand up to her, showing her to stop. " Please, don't agitate her any more....Suzumi..." Makoto replied, panting heavily. " Suzumi...she has lost her memory..."


	3. Chapter 2: Grief

**Chapter 2: Grief**

Makoto closed the door behind him, having managed to placate Suzumi into falling asleep in one of the rooms in Hibiki's mansion. He walked downstairs to where everyone else was apparently waiting, his Leaf comrades looking restless and edgy. Sora especially, who was pacing up and down furiously, as if she was trying to wear out the soles of her sandals to the best of her capabilities.

" How is she?" Ryouta asked.

" She's resting…she will be fine…I think… Well, that aside. I'm…glad to see you all here. I wish we could have met under less problematic situations," Makoto replied, before turning his attention to Hiroshi. " …Aren't you going to fix your arm?"

Hiroshi got up from the floor, looking very distressed somewhat. " I can fix my arm anytime, so don't worry about it," Hiroshi replied, looking very grim. " What I want to know is what the hell happened to Suzumi? And I would like to have an answer now, please…before I go mad."

" Certainly…" Makoto replied.

" You explain the incident. I'll go get you all something to drink," Hibiki replied, walking off towards the kitchen as he patted Makoto on the shoulders. Makoto merely sighed, before turning to his Leaf friends.

" Three days ago, when Suzumi returned from her first mission as a jounin, her home was attacked just as soon as she entered her house. A total of five unknown shinobis infiltrated the house, and proceeded to assassinate both of her parents, while she was left unharmed. However, when we found her, she seemed to have lost a part of her memories, and she did have like violent spasms once in a while, most likely attributed to the fact that her parents were brutally killed in front of her, causing some sort of trauma. She softened down for a while, but I guess she was just shocked at the prospect of Sora…startling her," Makoto replied.

" …I didn't know that…" Sora replied, sounding embarrassed.

" And nobody is blaming you for it," Hiroshi quickly replied. " …Who the hell are these people? Where are they from? How in the world did they come into the village? How did they even escape? What was their purpose?"

" We have no idea who these assassins were, but judging from the way Suzumi's parents were killed, at least two of them were a Cloud and Mist nin, so we can only guess that they were missing-nins, since we can't see the likely scenario of the Clouds and Mist-nins working together to try and mess things up in our village. Sneaking in was of no problem, but assuming we caused an amount of commotion, they should have difficulty slipping out. Considering that they managed to disappear without a trace, this can only mean a few things: we are up against someone who can actually have enough resources to know this much about our village defenses and we have an outsider in our midst, or either that they have some bastard Sand-nin on their side who knows a lot of how our defenses actually work," Makoto explained.

" Or, the best one is that they are actually collaborating with someone of influence and power in this village who can actually hide them effectively, like of the of the lords in the country's council," Hibiki replied, coming back with a tray of hot green tea.

" Hibiki, stop spouting that nonsense. What you are saying is totally rubbish," Makoto objected.

" Makoto, the ever optimistic person, but honestly, this is what I think of it, so hear me out and think whether I am nuts or not," Hibiki replied, passing the drinks around, which all of them accepted gracefully. " Five guys. When we came, the alarm was pretty much raised because I was making a hell of a racket. Now, in less than 3 minutes, they disappeared off the face of the earth. Security went on high alert after that, and the chances of people slipping out of the village is close to nil. Your village has forests around it, easy for people to hide. Outside of ours, there is like miles and miles of desert. How the hell can you escape into the desert without anyone even noticing? They are obviously inside the village still, and obviously someone is hiding them, not to mention hiding them well."

" …Sounds plausible…" Hiroshi replied.

" …Really?" Makoto asked, raising his eyebrows.

" …Perhaps. I don't know what to think, but I know I can't seem to think straight," Hiroshi replied before gulping down the hot tea in one full swing, the pain in his throat a refreshing relief. " I apologise, I know I should not act like this, but I'm frustrated, I guess."

" …I'm sorry…" Makoto apologized.

" There is nothing to apologise about. If anything, it should be me who should be grateful that Suzumi was at least unharmed, and both of you saw to that," Hiroshi replied, placing his cup aside.

The atmosphere was tense, and nobody said anything for a while. This was instantly broken when they suddenly heard a door open upstairs.

" …What the…?! I thought she was…" Makoto muttered, looking upwards.

Suzumi came down in an instant, huffing slightly from having run down the stairs at top speed, looking as if she was about to cry. She stopped when she spotted them all hanging around Hibiki's living room, before running up towards Hiroshi, who got up in alarm.

" …Uh, what's the matter?" he asked.

Suzumi suddenly broke down into tears, before bowing down apologetically in front of him. " I'm so sorry, I cut off your arm without even thinking. I don't know what to say…I'm so sorry, I don't know what to say," she apologized prophetically. " I…I…I'm so…EEEKKK!"

All of them jumped back in shock upon hearing Suzumi scream, with Sora's first thought was her going berserk again and wanting to beat them up, but that wasn't the case. Hiroshi, while they weren't noticing, managed to fix another puppet arm to replace the one he lost recently, and assuming that Suzumi had lost all her memory, it wouldn't be surprising that she had forgotten about it as well.

" What…what…oh…?" Suzumi gasped, feeling faint.

" Relax, it's just a puppet arm…" Hiroshi replied, pulling his arm off.

That very instant, Suzumi fainted, collapsing on the floor in a heap.

" …I guess that wasn't a very smart move on my part…" Hiroshi muttered, before all of them rushed towards Suzumi

-

" Okay, let me get this right," Suzumi said " You are Tanaka Sora, you are Suzuki Hiroshi, and you are Sato Ryouta. Am I right?"

" Yes, correct so far," Sora replied.

" Ryouta is an expert in using elemental ninjutsus, having mastered all elements since a young age, not to mention being a famous and well known throughout the continent as the Phoenix of Konoha, having being promoted to a jounin at a young age, and specializes in using fire jutsus, while Sora is a taijutsu user who uses sound to augment her abilities, and Hiroshi uses puppets, and is skilled in medical jutsu, along with weapon crafting, upgrading, and enhancing equipment, holds a post as a researcher, who focuses on medical techniques and poisons, along with being a good cook," Suzumi replied, pondering a little. " Correct, so far?"

" …Yes…but why does Hiroshi and Ryouta have such a long description, and mine is a one liner?" Sora mused.

Having recovered from the shock, Suzumi decided to sit down, and attempt to remember these 'unfamiliar' Leaf-nins, sitting around in Hibiki's living room and talking. The Leaf-nins found Suzumi abnormally cheerful, a far cry from her insane outburst earlier, as if Suzumi had somehow reverted back to the Suzumi they know, except with memory loss.

" You sure don't act like you have amnesia, or either that, I think you recovered abnormally fast in three days," Sora mused.

" …It…just feels odd…" Suzumi replied.

" How so?" Ryouta asked.

" I can remember a lot of things: I know I'm a genjutsu specialist, and also adept at using medical skills, and my preferred throwing weapons are senbon needles. I am a jounin, having recently gotten my promotion, and I remember the mission I was doing which I completed three days ago. I remember eating at the stalls in the village, and knowing every nook and cranny of the places I have visited in this village," Suzumi explained. " I…I just can't seem to remember meeting any of you, ever…"

" One hell of an amnesia…" Sora mused. " Okay, I want you respond as quickly as you can, alright? Tell me who is the first person that comes to your mind."

" The Kazekage…?" Suzumi mused.

Ryouta let out a loud sigh. He felt bad for Hiroshi, who had been silent the entire time, merely looking at Suzumi with brooding looks, perhaps not wanting to fool around with her after that stunt he pulled previously. He wasn't sure what he was feeling, but it probably wasn't anything pleasant. Having Suzumi completely forget about him was just…

Sora sat back down on the sofa, sighing in a loud voice. " I give up. Suzumi's completely forgotten about us already, I don't know what to say," Sora replied.

" Suzumi?" Hiroshi spoke up for once.

" Urm…yes, Hiroshi?" Suzumi replied timidly.

" Are you comfortable?" he asked.

" Huh?" she mused, looking confused.

" What are you up to?" Sora asked suspiciously.

" Nothing, it's just that I was wondering if Suzumi was comfortable with us. After all, we must look like complete strangers to her. It would be daunting, even to me, when approached by someone I can only recognize as a stranger who claims they are my friend," Hiroshi replied. " That's all. I was just wondering if our presence is making you uncomfortable."

Suzumi blushed. " Oh, no it's okay…it's nothing…" she replied.

" …If this is because of my arm…"

" It has nothing to do with your arm," Suzumi replied. " I saw in Hibiki's room, a picture on his desk. In it was me, and the rest of you, along with two people I don't recognize. From the looks on the expressions on our faces, I do not doubt the fact that you all are my friends."

All of them fell silent for a while.

" Forgive me…" she apologized.

" Why are you all apologizing for?" Ryouta asked.

" …I…" she attempted to reply, but no words came out.

Hiroshi slowly got up from his seat as everyone turned his attention to him. " Well, that's alright. I'm sure you'll get back your memories if we give you enough time. You should get some rest for now," he replied.

" I'm not tired…" she replied.

" You are lying…during your brief act just now, you had… 'exerted' yourself more than you normally could, so I'm sure your body is aching badly right now," Hiroshi answered. " Also, you are tired mentally. All this problem about losing your memory is bad for you. You can stop feigning innocence. All you really want to do now is to get some sleep, right?"

Suzumi clapped her hands excitedly, before looking at Hiroshi with her eyes beaming. " Wow, I guess you know me very well," she exclaimed, somewhat happily.

" …That, or I am a medic-nin, so I can read the signs on your bodily expressions," Hiroshi replied, before excusing himself from the place, walking off towards the courtyard of Hibiki's house.

-

" Yo…" Makoto replied as he joined Hiroshi in the courtyard. Hiroshi was merely staring off into space, looking somewhat bored. He turned and looked at Makoto when he addressed him, and merely nodded his head to acknowledge his presence, before turning away again. " How…how are you holding up?" Makoto asked.

" Hardly befitting for a person who didn't wake up only to lose his memory and parents in one night," Hiroshi answered in a deadpan manner. " I don't think you need to worry about me right now."

" But…" Makoto objected.

" It's okay…I'm fine," Hiroshi assured him. " …Suzumi can't remember our relation, but I don't want to press her for it…"

" About that, don't you want to tell her about it?" Makoto asked. " That the both of you are going out?"

" No, Makoto, I think it is a bad idea," Hiroshi replied. " You forget that Suzumi has completely forgotten about us. I think it's troubling enough to establish that we are her close friends, so I don't think we need to trouble her any more by telling her that she's my lover."

Makoto wasn't sure what to reply. What Hiroshi said was true. Despite knowing the Leaf-nins were someone who was close to her, he couldn't help but notice Suzumi's heartbeat was beating very fast, as if she was scared, or nervous. Taking in the fact that she was supposed to know people from a foreign village as close was something she probably wasn't ready to accept that yet, even though she put up a brave front in front of all of them.

" I could see it, Makoto. She was scared. She was forcing herself to acknowledge the fact that she knew us. Did you see how she reacted to me? It was a look of fear, like looking into an unknown depth of something unfathomable," Hiroshi replied. " …I'd like you to not tell her about it…"

" But…!"

" Please, don't tell her," Hiroshi replied. " …Letting her know that she was in a relationship now is only going to cause problems. If she forgets all about it, I'm not going to complain about it one bit."

" I…"

" Yo, so this is where you have been? I tried looking for you at your place, and when I couldn't find you there, I figured you'd be here," a voice spoke up.

Makoto and Hiroshi turned towards the wall surrounding the house, only to see a tall, fairly young Sand kunoichi standing on the wall, a hand on her hips while another saluting them cockily. Hiroshi had not seen her before, but from the looks on her face it seemed that she knew him somehow.

She was dressed in short pants, and a tank top with a sleeveless jacket to boot. She wore fingerless gloves, and had some bulky looking weapon packs attached to her belt. Her hair was outrageously long and silky, her dark blue hair reaching down her back, almost touching the floor, and her dark green eyes had a hint of mischievousness. She jumped off the wall and landed in front of them, her hair spinning wildly as she spun around several times before she landed on her feet.

" Sorry, Makoto, the mission was a little long, but I'm back now," she replied, grinning at him while scratching her head, before showing a worried face. " I heard about the incident at Suzumi's place. How is she? Is the amnesia as bad as I think it is?"

" … Well, she hasn't been able to recognize any of us, or any of her other friends, so say the least, not even her parents," Makoto answered.

" Owh, I see…that's sad," the kunoichi replied. " Sorry about this Hiroshi, it must be tough on you, isn't it?"

" …Urm, who are you?" Hiroshi asked curiously.

" I see, we haven't met, have we? We should have done introductions earlier, Makoto," the kunoichi replied.

" Well, it's your fault for being on so many overseas missions," Makoto replied.

" Oh, Mayuri, you came back?" Suzumi's voice called out to her, seeing her come out into the courtyard.

Time seemed to have froze at that point. Makoto, Hiroshi and Mayuri looked at Suzumi with shocked faces, along with Ryouta, Sora and Hibiki, who were behind her. Sora in fact even dropped the tea cup she was holding, smashing it into tiny little bits when it hit the floor.

" WHAT?!" Sora screamed. " You know who she is, but you don't remember me?!"


	4. Chapter 3: Fiancee

**Chapter 3: Fiancée**

" Right, for those of you who don't know her yet, allow me to introduce you to her. This is Mizuno Mayuri," Makoto replied.

" Oi, what kind of lame introduction is this? Are you that embarrassed to introduce me to your friends? Allow me to do a proper introduction," Mayuri replied, patting Makoto on his shoulders. " The name's Mizuno Mayuri, age 20, my birthday is on the 23rd of February, favourite colour is blue, favourite food is anything sweet, favourite drink is green tea, my hobbies include fishing and knitting, my current rank is…"

" …Isn't your introduction too long?" Hibiki replied, scowling.

" …Jounin, currently not holding any positions in the village. As for my relationship with Makoto, I'm his fiancée. It's a pleasure to finally meet you Leaf-nins he always talk about. I'm assuming Ryouta is the one in the flak jacket, Hiroshi is the other guy, which leaves Sora as the female member of the team. Hello~" Mayuri finished in a sing-song voice.

" Ehh?!" Sora exclaimed in utter shock. " …What the hell is going on?! First Suzumi loses her memory, and now Makoto gets hooked up with some chick in less than a week?! Tell me I'm not going crazy here…"

" Why are you so surprised? Didn't Makoto tell us about her before?" Ryouta replied. " Granted, it was only a couple of times, and we have never seen her before, but he did mention her."

" …I think the times Makoto mentioned Mayuri was when she was drunk, sleeping, or both," Hiroshi replied, trying to think about it. " So, when's the wedding?"

" What?! We are not getting married anytime soon," Makoto objected instantly.

" Oh, what's this? I thought the date was set in like a year's time," Mayuri replied coyly.

" …I haven't decided on that yet…" Makoto replied, his face positively blushing at this point.

" Fu~Fu~ Fu~," Mayuri chuckled in a singsong manner. " You are so cute when you blush."

"…So, who's the best man?" Sora asked.

" Me, obviously," Hibiki replied.

" Can you idiots stop deciding things on your own?" Makoto replied, sounding tired.

Mayuri placed her hands on her hips before addressing the Leaf team. " Well, I think I like you guys by the looks of it. Of course, you are all required to come to our wedding, I insist. I can't have you all missing on our big day. Right, Makoto?" Mayuri asked, and Makoto merely kept quiet, obviously not the way he would have wanted to introduce his fiancée to his friends. " That aside, how in the world is it possible for Suzumi to remember me, and not the rest of you? After all, I only know her the shortest."

" Urm, I don't know…" Suzumi replied. " I …do know you…somehow…"

" Selective amnesia, I bet," Ryouta replied.

" How's that even possible?" Hiroshi asked.

" Well, if you ask me, it is as if she has conveniently forgotten a few select things," Sora replied. " So, what do we do now?"

" Nothing we can really do about. Come, Hiroshi, Sora, let's at least finish what we were supposed to do once we come here. We can decide on how to deal with this problem later," Ryouta replied, getting up. " If you would excuse us…"

However, as Ryouta headed for the door, a few people entered without warning. Ryouta stopped short when he saw a whole bunch of Sand-nins enter Hibiki's home, and from the looks of it, they were not people who Hibiki would be friendly with. A total of five of them entered the living room, all of them looking displeased.

" …What now?" Hibiki replied scowling at them.

" The higher-ups want to see you," came the curt reply.

-

" Do you have any idea how dangerous it was to let her roam around like that? What if she killed someone?! You were assigned to guard her, to make sure she was safe, yet you carelessly let her walk around like nobody's business!" one of the elder jounins exclaimed.

Hibiki slammed his fists angrily on the table, sending cracks along the table from the insane force he applied, making the files and cups shake as he made impact. " So this is my fault, huh?! Screw you, old man! Suzumi has been cropped up like some caged animal for days, and for what? She was trying to regain her memories, yet you idiots are still trying to lock her up like some dangerous beast. For your information, she escaped from my place because she has been restricted for so long, so if it's anyone's fault, it's yours, you dumb prick," Hibiki shouted back vehemently.

" Hibiki, watch your mouth!" another younger jounin rebuked him.

" I will, and shall, say whatever I wish to say, so to whoever I am insulting, you can just sit back and shut up!" Hibiki shot back.

One of the elder jounins jumped up from his seat, pointing a finger towards Hibiki. " I will not tolerate this…"

" Silence!"

Everyone kept their mouths shut the moment the Kazekage spoke. He was quiet for a while now, ever since the meeting started, but it was obvious he was getting annoyed at the display. He sat at the head of the table, his arms folded, while he scanned the room with his deadpan look. Nobody said a word, and waited for the Kazekage to speak.

" …I think arguing with one another is pointless at this time. If our Leaf allies are able to overlook this event, then I shall book no further complaints," the Kazakage replied. " What I need now is to deal with his incident quickly. Not only have spies successfully infiltrated our village, but have managed to assassinate a prominent member of our village, and even after three days, the best information anyone can give me is they are a bunch of missing-nins?"

" Kazekage-sama, I beg for forgiveness, but we have been unable to find any clues or track on these spies. In fact, if it wasn't for Makoto and Hibiki passing the Nagato's household, we might not even know of the assault until the next morning," a young jounin replied. Makoto figured from his tone he was sympathetic with Hibiki and him. " The execution of this event isn't some random event, but from the looks, carefully planned. It is the work of professionals."

" …Fine, the rest of you, get back to work," the Kazekage replied.

All of the jounins left, except Hibiki and Makoto. The Kazekage waited patiently for the rest of the jounins to leave, before turning to Hibiki. " Is there something you wish to talk about?" he asked.

" …Did you consider my…"

" I considered your suggestion," the Kazekage replied abruptly, cutting him off. " And I am inclined to think it's a likely scenario."

Makoto looked a little shocked. " Kazekage-sama, you can't be serious. Are you suggesting an inside job?" Makoto asked.

" More specifically, I suspect one of our country's lords is behind this. My reason for speculation might not be just, but I have a gut feeling. I can't explain why," the Kazekage replied. " However, we have more pressing matters at hand."

" Which is?" Hibiki asked.

" Suzumi…"

" I don't understand…" Hibiki replied.

" …I have every reason to believe why the Nagato's household was assaulted was because of Suzumi. Whoever these people are, they want Suzumi," the Kazekage replied.

" …What? I thought the assassination was aimed at her parents…" Makoto mused.

" True, that was what we initially thought, but things looks different after the autopsy report came in. We cannot be overly sure, but our medic-nins stated that Suzumi's parents were killed at least 5 minutes before she returned," the Kazekage replied. " Now, I may just be overly paranoid, but assuming if these spies were targeting her parents, wouldn't they have immediately left, rather than wait 5 minutes for her to return?"

" …But…they didn't do anything to her…" Hibiki replied. " Poor girl lost her memory from the shock of seeing her parents dead."

" …Or either that, they didn't have time. Remember, both of you entered the house almost as soon as possible. I suspect they might have wanted something out of her, considering that they didn't kill her, nor kidnap her from the spot," the Kazekage replied.

" Okay, if they needed her, why didn't they just kidnap her?" Hibiki asked.

" No, think properly. Assuming if your theory is correct, and that the spies somehow managed to hide in our village, wouldn't it be cumbersome to carry Suzumi and escape at the same time?" Makoto suggested.

" …This would mean, looking at the situation, the spies were more keen of keeping their identities a secret than Suzumi, despite them taking all the effort in planning this scenario," Hibiki replied.

" This might also explain why they refused to fight you, least they risk pulling out some jutsu that might give them away," Makoto replied.

" Regardless, assuming if this is true, Suzumi will no doubt still be a target in this village, assuming we have an insider. This is why I have decided the best way to keep her safe until we know what we are dealing with is to send her somewhere else besides this village," the Kazekage replied.

" Where to?"

" The village of Konoha."

-

" Curses, this is all so troublesome, really," Sora sighed, pressing her hands against her hips as both Ryouta and her walked through one of the Sand's administration buildings, were they were supposed to deliver their intended package. " Suzumi's parent's assassination, and her losing her memory. Hiroshi must be in an absolute wreck. I'm actually surprised he hasn't broken down yet."

"And we don't need you antagonising him any further," Ryouta commented.

" I won't…too much…" Sora replied.

Sora was munching on a snack, a honey coated BBQ stick, which she had bugged Ryouta to buy for her until he gave in, while Ryouta was at one of the desks, handing over the parcel to the shinobi behind the counter, who was asking Ryouta on the details on the transfer. Some Sand-nins shot them looks, natural since they were standing out amongst the rest of them.

" Alright, I'll deliver the package accordingly," the kunoichi behind the counter replied.

" I'll be most grateful," Ryouta replied, bowing slightly.

" …How's Hiroshi?" the kunoichi asked.

Ryouta was slightly stumped on how to answer this question. It didn't occur to him that other Sand-nins might be privy to Suzumi and Hiroshi's relationship together, and granted, coming from different villages makes it rare enough. Ryouta was going by the assumption that the kunoichi might be a friend of Suzumi's, and is probably aware of the situation, not to mention knowing Hiroshi's intimacy with Suzumi.

" He's …coping, I guess…" Ryouta answered awkwardly.

" Alright, send my regards to him," the kunoichi replied.

" Duly noted," Ryouta replied, walking off. It then occurred to him that he didn't get her name, and to return now to enquire about it would make him look utterly silly, so he decided to forget about it.

" Her name's Hana," Sora replied.

" I don't recall asking for it," Ryouta answered back.

" …Pfft, stop being such a show-off," Sora replied.

" Yo!"

Both of them looked up to see Hibiki running towards them, waving his hands energetically. " Glad I caught up to you. I have some news to relay," he replied, panting slightly.

-

Hiroshi sat at the porch of Hibiki's mansion, a tea cup in hand with hot green tea within it. He took a sip, the burning hot water too much for his tongue to handle, so he continued to wait passively for the drink to cool first. He was the only one besides Suzumi who was currently around in Hibiki's house. It did pique his curiosity somewhat as to why Makoto and Hibiki were summoned all of a sudden. He didn't particularly like the looks the escorts gave them, but he was in no position to comment on it.

He wasn't sure what to feel right now as of this moment. His girlfriend had now entirely forgotten about him, a mere stranger in her presence. As much as he felt hurt inside, he tried to not show it to his companions, Suzumi especially, since there was something better left unsaid. He was hoping her could extend his stay here, but he was pretty sure the Hokage won't let him linger here under such a situation.

He attempted to take a sip once more, only to feel the tea burn his tongue once more. He set his cup aside in frustration, his tongue going slightly numb now after burning it repeatedly. However, as distressed as he was, he could somehow feel something was odd. He picked up the cup and looked at it.

He had poured himself the tea over an hour ago. It was impossible for the cup to retain so much heat after so long, regardless of whether the cup was made from materials that were meant to retain heat.

A soft chuckle made him realize what was wrong.

" Oh, what's this?" Hiroshi asked, turning around to see Suzumi right behind him.

" Sorry, it's just that you look so gloomy ever since you came, I just thought maybe I could use genjutsu to cheer you up," Suzumi replied, walking over and sitting down right opposite of him. " I'm sorry, I'm sure you are depressed because of me."

Suzumi noted that Hiroshi seemed to be staring at her intently.

" …Is there a problem?" she asked politely.

" It has been years since the time when you would be constantly apologizing I every conversation you had with us. I almost forgot you used to do that when we first met," Hiroshi answered.

" Is that true…? I'm sorry…"

" Would you…*sigh*…stop it, no one is blaming you for anything now. Stop acting like everything is your fault, because it isn't," Hiroshi replied, smiling slightly.

" …I'm sorry…"

Hiroshi slapped his palm on his face.

" I'm sor… you know what, I think I should keep quiet now…" Suzumi replied.

" It's okay…" Hiroshi answered. " Aren't you tired?"

" No, it's fine. Bored, more like. I've been stuck here for a while now, and despite knowing it is for my own good, I still can't help but feel restless," Suzumi answered. " And..perhaps…just perhaps…I feel conflicted…"

" …In what way?" Hiroshi asked.

" …I just found out my parents are dead. Even if I cannot remember them…I can't seem to find tears to shed for them. Does this mean I did not care for them before? Am I such an ungrateful child to not even feel sorry for the deaths of the people who bore me to life," Suzumi replied. " I want to cry, but I have no tears. I want to feel sadness, but I have no heart. Is this merely because I had lost my memories of those dearest to me, or is this because subconsciously, I never appreciated them before?"

Hiroshi was hoping she wouldn't directly ask him for an answer. Suzumi was a filial child, but despite that, she had told him that her father had always wanted her to take up puppetry, which she had absolutely no talent in, and things have been a little sour since the day she graduated from the academy. Hiroshi couldn't remember her parents much, besides once letting him use the shed at the back of Suzumi's house and inviting him for tea when she told them they were seeing each other. Hiroshi was grateful that they didn't make a fuss about it.

" …Wait…" Suzumi exclaimed all of a sudden.

" What is it? Did you remember something?!" Hiroshi asked in alarm.

" …I remember your parents. Suzuki Manaka and Suzuki Yamato," she replied. " Why do I know them, and not know you?"

" Urm, haven't we figured out that your amnesia is selective?" Hiroshi replied.

" Alright, then why do I know your parents?...Perhaps, more specifically, what's my relationship with you?" Suzumi asked.

_Oh shit, I can't answer her honestly like this…but she's already figuring it out slowly even without telling…_Hiroshi thought, trying his best to hide his expression. _What should I say, should I admit it, or should I deny our relationship…?_

" Please, tell me…" Suzumi pleaded.

" Nothing, you stayed at my place once, and I believe you talked to my mother for sometime. It was then when you got to know my parents," Hiroshi replied.

" …Why am I getting the impression that you are lying?" Suzumi asked, raising her eyebrows.

" Either that, you have never met the rest of our parents," Hiroshi replied. " Makoto, Hibiki and Ryouta have been orphans long before you knew them well enough, and Sora's parents are almost always on the move all around the country as merchants. Heck, I think I've only seen them three times throughout the long years I've known her, so it would come to no surprise that you probably never seen them before."

" Hmm, sound plausible," Suzumi replied, looking slightly downcast.

" …Are you alright?" Hiroshi asked.

" Oh, yeah…it's just that after the incident, I get moody a little bit…nothing to worry about…perhaps I should lie down for a bit," Suzumi replied, brushing her hair.

" You should do that," Hiroshi replied.

" Excuse me," Suzumi responded, before getting up and walking away.

Hiroshi watched Suzumi leave, before taking his cup up once more and drinking it. He was blissfully unaware of Suzumi glaring back at him with a vengeful look right behind him, her hand scratching the walls, her fingernails digging through the paint, as she mouthed the word 'liar' under her breath, just before leaving towards her room upstairs.


	5. Chapter 4: Journey to the Leaf

**Chapter 4: Journey to the Leaf**

" So, due to your suspicions, you decided that Suzumi would be better off in our village, under our protection? Well, I'm not going to argue with that," Ryouta replied. " So, what's the plan? Do we head straight away?"

" No, we don't want to openly advertise that we are sending Suzumi to the Leaf, just in case some people catch wind of it. Word is we are going to escort her to a remote area somewhere west of our village," Makoto replied. " We would prefer to get you guys, since we are familiar with you and all, to get us there, but we can't be seen leaving together."

" No problem. We can head off now, and you can meet us at the Southern Highway at point 35. How does that sound?" Sora asked.

" Good, I guess. Sorry to drag you guys into this mess," Hibiki replied.

" It's okay. We are pals anyway, so we should be expected to look out for one another. Well, Suzumi had always wanted to stay for a long period of time in the Leaf village. I guess this should sate her desire, or whatever memory that was left of it," Ryouta replied. " So, how is the investigation going on?"

" Classified information, I can't tell you that," Makoto replied.

" Hey, aren't we friends? You could just at least tease us," Sora replied.

" As much as I would like to, we really can't. We'd rather not break too many rules. It's not like I have a clean disciplinary record anyway," Hibiki replied. " Well, get ready to leave. The faster you leave, the quicker we can move Suzumi. And honestly, I don't really want her to hang around here like some sort of bait to lure these bastards out."

-

As soon as Hiroshi could not feel Suzumi's presence, he took out his previously broken puppet arm which Suzumi had splendidly ripped apart in an instant. It was basically broken into two pieces, all the joints, screws and smaller mechanisms within the puppet arm now in pieces. It was possible to fix it, but Suzumi had practically managed to rip it apart through the middle, and honestly, Hiroshi would have an easier time to build a new arm compared to repairing it.

" Yo!"

Looking upwards, he spotted Mayuri hanging from the ceiling, her feet attached to the surface of the ceiling, smiling down cheekily at him. Hopping off the ceiling, she landing perfectly in front of him. Hiroshi was quiet surprise that despite dropping from that height, she landed so gracefully she didn't even make the puppet arm shake even a slightest bit, only landing 3 centimeters from his puppet arm.

" Graceful…" Hiroshi muttered absent-mindly.

" Really? Oh well, not that I really care about it much," she replied cheekily, before performing a backflip, ending it by landing on the ground neatly while crossing her legs while sitting down. " Acrobatics isn't really my style, but I guess as a girl, it's expected to be ingrained in us somehow."

Hiroshi wasn't sure how to argue upon the topic. Despite being an obvious tomboy, she had this graceful charm that was somewhat special about her. Perhaps it was the way she moved about, or her extremely long hair, that somewhat made her charming. Either that, Mayuri was probably what Sora would be if she wasn't PMS-ing all the time.

" How long did it take?" Hiroshi asked. " The hair, I mean…"

" Oh, this? …Secret~" Mayuri replied.

" Huh?"

" It's a secret~, a girl's got to have some secrets. I'm not telling all of mine to you…not yet, little boy," Mayuri replied once more in a sing-song voice. Hiroshi wondered if she only does this when she is feeling particularly happy about something. " Sorry kid, not trying to put you down. I do have respect for you, you know. It's not like everyone can get a 40 million ryou bounty on their head."

" Actually, it's 45 million now," Hiroshi corrected her.

" Wow, pretty accomplished for your age, aren't you?" Mayuri replied, smirking slightly.

Hiroshi merely tapped his head. " Not really. The deposit lies in here, information that I know. Dangerous stuff, not that I intended to have it anyway," he replied.

" You sound somewhat dejected. Let me tell you something, pal. It's rare to meet a puppeteer of your level. Perhaps you are the only lone puppeteer in your village, so perhaps nobody can really evaluate you properly, but look at it this way: you are a jounin at the age of 19, which is a fairly good accomplishment for someone of your age. Also, you are a puppeteer, and your combat skills practically surpasses almost all the puppeteers we have here," Mayuri replied, jumping to her feet.

Hiroshi merely looked up at her curiously, wondering where this conversation is leading to.

" Plus, you are self taught. Puppetry is difficult to learn without some guidance, yet you manage to learn it all using several notes scribbled onto scrolls and sheer gusto. Nobody I know in this village has accomplished something of this level ever, and you seemed to have created some personal skills using puppets of your own. Also, I hear that you don't even specialise in puppetry, but you are well-versed in medical jutsu, is a weapon specialist and a proficient cook," Mayuri replied. " I think you are quite awesome."

" …Excuse me, but are you trying to…cheer me up?" Hiroshi asked.

Mayuri merely burst out laughing, and Hiroshi could see slight tears coming out from the sides of her eyes. " You sure over-analyse…do you do this a lot?" Mayuri asked.

" Never used to. Circumstances changed my behavior," Hiroshi answered calmly.

" I suspect a sad, tragic story is at hand. Don't bother telling me, I hate sad stories," Mayuri cheekily replied. " So, why did you take this arm out for? Just to look at it, or just for kicks?"

Hiroshi dug out a small pack from his cloak, revealing a small parcel that contained tools of all sorts, and various assortments of screws, nails and bolts. " I plan to repair it," Hiroshi answered.

" Repair it? It looks beyond repair. You could very easily make a new one, can't you? Unless you have some sentimental reason for using your old broken arm," Mayuri replied.

" Perhaps some sentimental reasons, but that is not my motivation for repairing my broken arm. You see, it's not much of a repair, but of a recycle. I am sort of a technician/mechanic, and some of the materials I use for my arm are very difficult to come by, especially the alloys, and I can assure you, to make another arm means to fork out money from my salary," Hiroshi replied.

" Why? Unless it is excessive, most of our equipment is funded by the village itself. Why do you make it a point to pay for your weapons. I do remember puppetry being an expensive art, considering all the cost that needs to be put into the maintenance of puppets, more so when you use multiple puppets," Mayuri objected.

" True, but this is not the Sand village. I come from the Leaf, and although we do have the village funding most of our standard weaponry needs, they do not have a logistic section for puppetry, and thus, it is hard to tabulate what is appropriate and what is excessive for my puppet needs," Hiroshi answered. " What I do is take a slight extra amount, and work with it. Any extras, I incur on my own."

" I see. Makes sense, since it puppetry isn't a skill of Leaf-nins, so it's obvious that they wouldn't know the cost of keeping a puppet," Mayuri mused.

" True, and also for the fact that my puppets are of high maintenance," Hiroshi replied.

" Oh really?" Mayuri asked sarcastically.

To prove his point, Hiroshi emptied his entire puppet arm. Mayuri saw that it was complex, or overly complex would be a better word. Normal puppet arms just used a basic metal frame to act like a skeleton of a puppet, while usually wooden casing was placed outside of it to form the body. Hiroshi's arm, however, was mixed with a whole slew of mechanisms, wires, joints, seals and tags, several weapon scrolls tucked within it as well. In fact, the stuff inside was probably more complex than a typical muscle system of a normal arm.

" Oh wow…you really like to outdo yourself, don't you?" Mayuri replied.

" Perhaps, but also, the alloy I use is very hard to get…and make…" Hiroshi replied, picking up a wooden piece of his arm and passing it to Mayuri. She had to appreciate the fact that the false skin he made was almost like a real human skin. That alone must have been very hard to make. " Do you think it's make of wood? Not the skin, but the casing, I mean."

" Obviously, when you make that kind of statement, it is obviously not wood," Mayuri replied.

" Of course not. It's made of a metal alloy," Hiroshi answered.

" But it…"

" …Feels as light and the texture is similar to wood, am I right? Took me a while to get that prepared, but I needed an arm that was light and quick to use, while having the ability to be durable. This specific alloy, Class 54-A, is the newest, and most of the components of the arm is made from this alloy, except for specific parts," Hiroshi replied.

" Class 54-A?"

" I like to experiment with making alloys. This is one of the few hundred types I have tried, and works the best, so far. There are some complications with the weight ratio and handling of the arm, but I am working on that," Hiroshi replied.

Mayuri could understand why Hiroshi had a 45 million ryou bounty on his head. His technical knowhow and knowledge was more than enough to tip the scales. If an enemy country were to kidnap him, his technical knowledge of weapons alone could warrant a war to break out. What Hiroshi lacks in skill compared to the elite puppeteers of the Sand was made up by his way advance puppets and his insane amount of technical stuff. And the terrifying thing was that he doesn't only focus solely on puppets.

" You really are a puppeteer at heart. It's a pity that you were born in the Leaf. You would have made a brilliant shinobi in our country," Mayuri answered.

" Well, you all did have the good grace to allow me to learn it, so I should be thanking you all for the courtesy you have shown me," Hiroshi replied. " Well, I should get started. I could probably finish fixing this before we get back."

" Not possible. We might have to leave soon," a voice replied.

Both of them looked up to see Ryouta and Sora enter the house, follow by his two Sand teammates, Hibiki and Makoto.

-

" Right, here is the mission plan," Makoto replied, rolling out a scroll that had a detailed map of their country. " This is where we are. We would need the three of you to escort us while we take Suzumi out, since it would be proper, but our Kazekage does not want to raise any suspicion as to where Suzumi is to be transported to. Thus, Ryouta and his team will make for the point 35 on the Southern Highway between our countries. We will head off west, only to circle back and rendezvous with you all when we are out of sight from prying eyes. Once we meet up, we will head off immediately towards your village, where we will keep Suzumi there temporarily. With better medical treatment and facilities, hopefully, we might be able to fix her memory loss."

" Memory loss isn't something that can be fixed using medical jutsus," Sora mused.

" Assuming it was purely due to trauma. If what they suspect is right, then Suzumi's memory loss might be a clue to why they attacked her home that night, and why they spared her. She also has selective memory loss, which may indicate that her memory might be manipulated in some way," Ryouta replied. " So far, the Sand's have found nothing, but it doesn't mean that it's not there."

" Also, I need to warn you the Kazekage has classified this as an A-rank escort mission, due to the circumstances," Hibiki replied.

" What? Are you scared, pussy?" Sora chided.

" Geez, take it seriously, will you? I'm trying to warn you of the danger here," Hibiki scowled.

" Considering that this is a A-rank mission, who's the third member of your team? You'd need another jounin, or elite chuunin by the looks of it," Ryouta replied.

" What? Of course, it's Suzumi. She's always been a member of our team, don't you remember?" Hibiki replied.

" …We are supposed to escort Suzumi, thus by convention, she isn't supposed to be on active duty. You need another person to supplement your 3 man team, right?" Ryouta objected.

" …Silly boy, how the Sand authorities ever made you a Jounin is a wonder to me," Sora teased him.

" I wholeheartedly agree. The majority of them don't like you anyway," Makoto replied, grinning.

" Thanks for the vote of confidence, pal, it was exactly what I needed at a moment like this," Hibiki replied, sighing loudly. " I'm more surprised with you. What did you do, threaten to beat them up if they didn't promote you? It's not likely that you slept with them. You are such a turn-off anyway…"

Sora leaned over the table and sneered at him. " You are just jealous that I'm better than you are," she replied mockingly.

" If anything, the ability to promote earlier than you probably puts me right on top of the food chain compared to you, so don't compare me with you and your pointless posturing," Hibiki replied.

" Oh wow, are you two married?" Mayuri suddenly asked.

" Hell no!" both of them replied at once. " What gave you that freaking idea!?"

" Well, you do argue like a married couple," Mayuri replied, chuckling slightly.

" I'd die before I kiss this chick!" Hibikis shot back.

" I'd marry Hiroshi before I marry this guy!" Sora shot back.

" It's nice to get your vote of confidence as well," Hiroshi sighed.

" Your definition of a married couple is very scary," Makoto admitted.

" Tee hee hee," Mayuri merely laughed it off. " Well, for your third member of your party, it should be none other than me. After all, I am only slated to deal with missions overseas, and this mission will suit me just fine."

" But…" Makoto wanted to object.

" Now, look here, Makoto. For this mission, you are to escort Suzumi and leave her at the Leaf, right? This means you will be staying for more than a couple of months there. What am I supposed to do here by myself, huh?" Mayuri asked.

Makoto tried to refrain from telling off his friends, who seemed to be snickering quietly amongst themselves behind Mayuri's back. Makoto figured that she probably knew what they were doing, but just didn't want to bother them about it.

" Well, the less people we have in the loop, the better, don't you think, considering you have already explained to me the things that have been going on. Although I must admit, this is bad practice. I know you trust me and all, but I think sharing classified missions with your fiancée reflects badly on you as a professional, now wouldn't it?" Mayuri replied. " Classified missions are classified for a reason, and being a wife shouldn't prompt you to tell me everything about it, right?"

Makoto was sure his friends were having the time of their lives right now, considering the looks on their faces. He merely sighed and muttered. " …I understand perfectly…" he replied.

" Well, I should be off to talk to the Kazekage about this matter," Mayuri replied. " You three should get moving as soon as we can afford it."


	6. Chapter 5: Rendezvous Point

**Chapter 5: Rendezvous Point**

Sora yawned loudly, obviously always bored out of her mind whenever she doesn't have something to insult or beat up. They were waiting at the designated point for over a day now, and Sora was more than restless. It was a bad habit of hers which she was never able to kick off over the years. Arguably, the only missions in which Sora could ever do splendidly well was when she had to go and deal a wanton rampage of destruction.

Hiroshi noticed that she has getting unbearably restless, and decided to divert her attention somewhere else, least she started disturbing them for no particular reason.

" Hungry?" he asked.

" Very much. I'd like something to eat," she replied.

Hiroshi dug into her pack and took out some preserved meats. He had prepared them and seasoned them to Sora's liking. It wasn't as if he was preparing for a long journey or anything, since Hiroshi can very easily source for food regardless of what situation or continent he was in, but it was more of a preparation to placate Sora, since the only thing that would shut her up was food.

Sora gleefully took the pack and opened it, before started to chew on the food. Hiroshi was sure to preserve the meat in a way to make it tough, so Sora would take way more time to chew on it, so she would be kept occupied for much longer.

" Hmm, are we distributing snacks now? May I have some?" Ryouta asked, coming over once he had smelt the seasoned meats. Sora merely glared at him and growled like some hungry dog protecting her meal. " …Oh well, Hiroshi, got anything to chew on?"

" What would you idiots do without me?" Hiroshi sighed, before digging into his pack and taking out some dry rations. He could easily go off and forage some food, but that would take some effort, not to mention that they were still within the desert, which meant it was far more difficult to obtain something edible here. He tossed Ryouta a small pack of dried food rations, before saying " Don't finish it too fast. We haven't met them yet."

Ryouta opened the pack before taking a bite.

" Say, what do you two make of this business? I mean, with these rogues after Suzumi and all that? You think they are really after her?" Sora suddenly asked.

" …Hmm, it is intriguing. I'm merely speculating, but if these people are somehow after Suzumi, it must be something she has. But, if she was made to lose her memory, then why?" Ryouta asked.

" What do you mean?" Hiroshi asked.

" Losing her memory. Let's say it wasn't cause by trauma as previously suspected, but by these people, who somehow managed to block her memory somehow. The question here is now why?" Ryouta replied as he continued to feast on his rations. " If they wanted to silence her, they could just easily kill her. Why make her lose her memory? Also, why murder her parents and leave her alive?"

" Well, if you look at it this way, it's most likely that they want something from Suzumi, that's the only reason why they needed her alive, right?" Sora suggested.

" True, but what? You see, these people, if they really did alter her memory, took some effort to do that. Altering memories is not as easy as it seems, and if they wanted to get information out of her, they should have just took her off and disappeared like they did. Why bother sealing her memories, then leave?" Ryouta replied.

" …Perhaps she might still prove useful being alive with a memory loss?" Hiroshi suggested.

" Hmm, maybe…but I cannot imagine a scenario where she would be useful in that situation…" Ryouta replied. " Well, let's not discuss this in too much detail, our friends have arrived, I reckon."

Ryouta was perfect in his timing. Not too far in the distance, four figures could be seen making their way towards them, all of them wearing thick desert cloaks. It didn't take them long to reach their designated meeting point, before the four of them threw back their hoods.

" Oi, you made me wait for a heck of a long time!" Sora exclaimed.

" Calm down, firecracker. We came here as fast as we could…" Hibiki replied.

" Tee hee hee…I've always wanted to visit the Leaf village once. This is a golden opportunity for me," Mayuri replied, giggling slightly.

" Well, sorry to make you all wait. We are here now, so I guess we can leave as soon as we can afford it," Makoto replied, before turning to Suzumi. " Suzumi, are you tired?"

" Oh…urm, don't worry about me…" Suzumi replied quietly.

-

All seven of them made their way along the highway, moving great distances over the span of the day. It wasn't as if Suzumi was incapable of handling herself despite losing her memory, as she was still as capable as she ever was, so they managed to travel without suffering any hindrances.

They had been travelling across a large desert now, but since they were nearing the Fire/Wind country border, most of the scenery was slow gradually changing to have a little greenery, with small shrubs and trees around the place, woody plants replacing cactuses. A noticeable number of birds were flying around above them as they made their way across the plains.

Soon enough, they managed to reach a small forest, which meant they have almost passed the borders between their countries. The air was more humid now with the forests around the surrounding area, and several forest animals could be seen curiously looking out at the seven of them.

" Well, let's take a break. There should be some good stuff that can be made here," Ryouta said, getting the team to come to a halt. Once again, he was unanimously made the team leader, not that he had much of a choice in the first place. " Hiroshi, if you would be so kind, I think lunch would be in order."

" Most certainly…" Hiroshi replied.

" My, my, my, I've heard good things about your cooking. Let me help. I'm pretty good at foraging stuff as well, and since this is still within our Sand borders, perhaps I can find food better than you can," Mayuri replied, jumping to her feet.

" Can I come as well?" Suzumi quickly asked.

Hiroshi turned and looked at her curiously, wondering what was up. Suzumi looked around at the rest of them worriedly, as if she had just asked something strange. Hiroshi couldn't be sure, but he somehow felt the only reason why she wanted to come along with them was because Mayuri had suddenly decided to follow Hiroshi. Being the only person who she could remember, Suzumi would probably feel most comfortable with Mayuri present.

" I'm not stopping you…" Hiroshi answered politely.

-

Hiroshi had managed to gather some mushrooms and roots, and with some help from Mayuri, acquire some of the local herbs as well, which would help in the cooking. Suzumi mostly stuck to Mayuri as she went about the place, speaking excitedly as she explained about the local flora and fauna of the area, while Suzumi listened with rapt attention, absorbing every word she said.

" Ah! Look, a small anthill. If my memory serves me right, this must be an underground nest of honey ants. I'm not sure about it, but would we need honey?" Mayuri asked.

" Well, not really, but they make good deserts," Hiroshi replied. " Pray tell me, how are you going to…"

Hiroshi didn't bother finishing his sentence. Mayuri merely placed her hand on the ground, not before slowly raising it upwards, drawing out a whole glob of honey from the earth where the ant's nest lay. Suzumi looked at the massive glob of honey that was now floating on Mayuri's hand, while Hiroshi looked visibly impressed.

" Wow, that has to take a lot of control. How'd you do that?" Hiroshi asked.

" Oh well…it's a secret~" Mayuri replied, winking slightly at him.

" At this rate, I think you are going to say everything you can do is a secret," Hiroshi mused, before looking at Suzumi, who was prodding the honey globule while licking her fingers to taste the sweetness of the honey.

-

" Ah, you are back. We managed to set up a fire, as you always require. So, what are we eating today?" Ryouta asked, getting up from the small fire they had managed to set alight during their absence.

" Well, snakes, mushrooms and some roots. Can't find any fruits of vegetables…" Hiroshi commented, before sitting down next to the fire, placing his supply of food on the ground before taking out his tools.

" Mushrooms are vegetables…" Sora replied.

" A mushroom is a fungus, dummy," Hiroshi scowled at her.

" Well, honestly, food classification for me falls under two distinct categories: meat, or vegetables. To me, if it is not a meat, it's a vegetable…" Sora replied.

Hiroshi got to work, taking out his knives and started to skin the snakes with expert precision, ripping off the skin without making a mess with all the blood. Mayuri and Suzumi especially watched with fascination as he cleaned the snakes, before rubbing some of herbs they managed to find on it, before spearing it with sharp sticks and letting them roast on the fire. He then took the mushrooms and cleaned them with whatever water he had on him, before soaking them in the honey Mayuri supplied, and roasting them on the fire as well.

" Well, take your pick. You should know when it is done," Hiroshi replied, before keeping his equipment.

" Hmm, simple, yet truly innovative. You never cease to amaze me, Hiroshi," Mayuri replied.

" …Looks good…" Suzumi replied.

" Bah, he'd make a better househusband like this," Sora scoffed.

" Oh…least someone has a bounty on his head~" Mayuri coyly replied in her sing-song tone.

Sora looked slightly irritated. " Why am I feeling that she is taking sides with him? Oi, Makoto, keep your wife in check, will you?" Sora snapped at Makoto, who appeared to be propped up by a rock, apparently sleeping from the looks of it, although it was hard to tell with his eyes always being constantly covered.

" She's not my wife…yet…" Makoto replied quietly.

It didn't take long for the food to cook, with Ryouta feeding the voracious flames every once in a while, and within minutes after Hiroshi started roasting his food, they were pretty much ready to eat. As always, Hiroshi's cooking was excellent despite the unconventional ingredients, and the team was as always enjoying his meal.

" Bwahahaha, this is great. I've never eaten a meal this good for a long time…" Mayuri replied.

" Damn, look at the amount she eats. And I thought I was bad…" Sora mused.

" Wow, I didn't know you could cook so well…well, I guess I did, but not now…" Suzumi replied. " Did we do this often? Travelling together, I mean…"

" Well, not much. Being from different villages doesn't help it altogether, but we do petition for some overseas missions when we can. On average, we catch up on joint missions about once every…what, one to two months?" Sora replied.

Suzumi pondered on her statement for a while, as if thinking of something to say. " Hmm…" she mused after a while. " Come to think of it, how are my parents?"

" …Eh?" everyone replied.

" My parents. I've completely forgotten about them all. With their recent deaths, it was as if they had never existed at all. I can't even remember their faces, and I only see unfamiliar faces looking back at me in the pictures," Suzumi replied quietly. " Perhaps…perhaps the only thing I really know about them is that I have never held them in any high regard, at all…"

" What makes you think of that?" Hiroshi asked.

" …Because I cannot seem to cry…" Suzumi replied. " Despite knowing my parents have died, even if I had forgotten about them, I feel no sadness, no remorse, nothing. It was as if I didn't…like them when I knew them…"

-

All seven of them continued to make their way towards the Leaf village, and had been travelling for hours now, and the sun was already setting in the horizon, staining the sky with a dark red hue. The land was still pretty much desert all around, but there has been some change in the surroundings, and the land was slowly changing from sandy ground to barren land. However, as soon as the sun started to drop, so did the temperature, and the cold temperature usually dropped below freezing sometimes.

" Are we going to some place to rest?" Hiroshi asked.

" Well, yes. You can't expect to sleep out here in the open, right? ...Oh, hang on a minute…where do you usually sleep when you come to our village?" Mayuri asked.

" Any cave we can find along the way. We have been here long enough to know where the caves seem to be located," Ryouta answered.

" Nice, but we have a neat little place to stay overnight. Next time, feel free to drop by this place if you wish," Mayuri replied.

Travelling west a little further, they came upon multiple rock walls, seemingly oddly placed. None of the Leaf jounins had ever taken this route before, so this was slightly unfamiliar territory to them.

" Wait…is that a house?" Sora asked.

" Strangely enough, yes," Makoto answered when they were in range to see the house. It was a small wooden house, and from the looks, utterly abandoned. Ryouta thought that it was out of place. " Well, this used to be a very old trading city. During a war about a hundred years ago, it was utterly destroyed. That house is one of the few remaining ruins left of the city, and always a good spot to take a break. There's nothing much inside, but at least it should keep us slightly warm and have a roof over our heads."

" …No missing-nins hiding in there, right?" Suzumi asked quietly.

" No worries, Suzumi, I can hear nothing…" Makoto replied.

" …That…doesn't sound too reassuring…" she answered.

" Oh, right, she forgot. See, Suzumi, Makoto has this supersonic level of hearing, pretty much functions as a radar. He can listen to our surroundings, and determine if there is anyone around," Hibiki answered on his friend's behalf.

" …Sorry, I don't remember," she apologized.

" Don't sweat it," Makoto replied.

" …Erm, if you don't mind me asking…what are your parameters for your hearing ability?" Suzumi asked.

" …Well, I can detect movement from 5 kilometers away, which means a 10 kilometer diameter, but only moving objects. From this point, I can hear and know what you are wearing, that there are three ant hills within a 1 kilometer radius, that a snake has made its home in the house itself, and your heart seems to be beating slightly quickly," Makoto replied.

" Wow…" Suzumi replied, looking visibly impressed. " Are all blind people like this?"

" No, it's only because I am this good," Makoto replied good-naturedly. " Well, let's go inside. We don't want to stand in the cold for too long…"

-

" Well, looks the same as it did the last time we came," Mayuri replied. " Okay, there is an underground spring nearby, so I am going to get the bath ready, unless there is absolutely no water. It's kinda late now, so Hiroshi may as well prepare dinner. There is a stock of firewood by the side of the house, we may as well finish it since the previous owner was nice enough to stock them up before abandoning this place."

With that, Mayuri scattered off into the depths of the house. Since it was covered by rock walls, the house was as dark as it could get. Ryouta managed to set up some candles and light them, giving the gloomy looking house some form of light. It was merely an empty house. No furniture was present, and it was pretty much empty save for some dust that was lying around the place.

" Hmm, strangely quite clean. There isn't much dust around. Do you come here often?" Sora asked.

" Nope, but we just close up when we leave. Dust is generally made up of human skin anyway, which means this place has not been inhabited for a while now," Makoto replied. " Make yourself comfy. Hiroshi, what's on tonight's menu?"

" …It depends on what you can get me…" Hiroshi answered.

-

" Seconds!" Mayuri and Sora exclaimed at the same time, holding out their bowls to Hiroshi. He merely sighed, before taking the bowls and filled them up with the stew he had just made, a thick creamy mixture of mushrooms, roots and preserved meats that he had. As soon as he finished filling them up, they were gone from his sight, ending up in front of both girls as they seem to gulp the stew down with extreme gusto. " Seconds!" they exclaimed once more.

" You could learn to eat slowly, you know that," Hiroshi replied.

" Tee hee hee…don't mind them, I think it's kinda funny…" Suzumi replied, giggling.

With a little bit of cleaning, the old kitchen was more than enough for Hiroshi to cook something decent. Luckily, the there was a small well built inside the house, and the underground spring didn't seem to have run out of its water supply yet, so it helped a lot when he was cooking. He had to cook extras now since Mayuri was with them, and from the looks of it, she probably ate just about as much as Sora does.

" Seconds!" they replied once more.

" Hey, slow down, you crazy girls!" Hibiki snapped back. " That's like your fifth bowl, and I'm not done yet with my first!"

" I can't help it," Mayuri replied, almost squealing. " I can't cook, and neither does Makoto. To eat something so good without needing to pay for it…it's like I am in heaven~"

" Apparently someone's very happy…" Makoto chuckled.

" Makoto, why can't you cook as good as Hiroshi can?" Mayuri asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

" Hey, I can fry vegetables…" Makoto defended himself.

" And only of one type," Mayuri replied.

" I am glad everyone likes my cooking. If I do retire from my current job, I guess I know what I'll be doing for my retirement then," Hiroshi replied, scratching his head, before looking at Makoto and Hibiki, who seem to be trying their best not to snicker at him. " …What's the matter…hang on a minute, you aren't thinking about…"

At this point Makoto and Hibiki didn't bother restraining themselves and let loose, laughing out loudly, with Suzumi and Mayuri giving them curious looks. Ryouta merely chuckled at the sight, and Sora merely sighed. " …On retrospect, I guess using puppets at that time was really funny, huh?" Hiroshi sighed.

" Are we done?" Mayuri asked.

" …What? Not yet! I'm not…"

" Not talking to you, Hibiki. I'm asking the girls," Mayuri replied.

" Should be enough to last the night," Sora answered.

" …I…I think so…" Suzumi stammered.

" Good, good…the bath should be hot enough now, so we all should go take a bath now," Mayuri answered.

" Eh? Why?" Suzumi exclaimed, blushing slightly.

" Because it would be good to clean up after travelling for so long. And I even went through the trouble to heat up some hot water for you as well," Mayuri answered.

" Not that. I meant why do we need to bath together?"

" Oh well, why not? It would be good fun, and no worries, it's not like we are going to bath naked with a bunch of guys, right? Come here! Sora, help me!"

" Alright!" Sora replied, jumping to her feet.

Suzumi looked around worriedly as Mayuri and Sora both grabbed an arm each and hoisted Suzumi towards the back of the house. " Alright, boys, we are going to be bathing, so no peeking, okay? …Well, if Makoto wants to peek on me, that's fine~ I'll allow it anyway…" Mayuri answered, before both girls dragged Suzumi off.

Makoto, Hibiki and Hiroshi looked at each other, before noticing that Ryouta was looking at them with an amused face. " What?" they demanded all at once.


	7. Chapter 6: Passion

**Chapter 6: Passion**

" Aaahhh~ this is as good as any hot spring we have..." Mayuri replied with a contented voice. She was soaking herself in the hot water she had managed to heat up with some firewood, and the water's temperature was just perfect. She gave a loud sigh of relief, enjoying herself as her body soaked up the heat. " A hot bath after a long journey, just the perfect thing we need."

" I take it you've been here enough times to use this bath here," Sora replied. " But this is really good...well, not as good as Suzumi's bath in her house, but since were previously planning on sleeping in a cave, I have absolutely no complaints. This...is...good..."

" Suzumi, why so shy? You don't have to huddle by the corner..." Mayuri replied, noticing Suzumi was sitting at the furthest end of the bathtub, hugging herself in a foetal position, her face half submerged under the water's surface, obviously blushing. " I'm not going to molest you...well, Sora might, but I won't."

" What's that supposed to mean?" Sora asked, frowning at her.

" By the way, do you have any boyfriends?" Mayuri asked.

" Boyfriends? Why are you referring to them in plural?" Sora asked.

" Because I think that with a voluptuous body like yours, you are sure to get a number of proposals. I'm sure guys won't leave you alone," Mayuri replied.

" Yes, I have had so many proposals I've forgotten how many I had, but I don't have a boyfriend," Sora answered.

" Hmm~ do you not have one because you don't have one, or because you can't get the one you want?" Mayuri asked teasingly.

" ...A little of both..." Sora admitted. " So, just out of curiosity, how did you and Makoto meet?"

-

" Well, we met in a bar. Don't ask me why I was there, since I don't drink. Heck, I thought getting a glass of beer was a bad idea at that time. I blame this guy, personally," Makoto answered, pointing towards Hibiki, who merely snickered. " Anyway, when I got there, since it was already so late, there was only one customer left, which was Mayuri."

" She was apparently drunk, having drunk two glasses of wine..."

" Wait, she was drunk after TWO glasses?! It takes me at least 4 glasses for me to feel something odd, and I don't even drink that much," Hiroshi replied.

" Well, she isn't much of a drinker anyway, but she tries. Anyway, I found her slumped on one of the tables..."

" And you decided this was a good opportunity..." Hibiki interrupted.

" Please, I am not so low to stoop to such actions, and if you want to listen, please don't interrupt me," Makoto replied, sighing loudly. " Well, anyway, I found her on one of the tables, apparently there to drink her problems away. She was depressed that she got dumped again. Apparently she didn't have much luck with men."

" ...I am going to assume this is why she's affectionate to you. I bet she'd be traumatised to lose you," Ryouta chuckled.

" Well, she had been dumped again, and she was trying to drink her troubles away. I didn't plan on doing anything, but apparently she wanted someone to let her feelings out to, so she forcefully dragged me to her table and sat me down opposite her seat, and started to talk about all her life's problems: her family and how her upbringing was, and how she can't seem to keep her relationships for more than 2 weeks. It wasn't as if I was a counsellor or anything, but I guess I didn't mind her telling me her entire sad lifestory," Makoto replied.

" Perhaps it was merely a strange reflection on my part, which was funny. I saw things in her perspective that I couldn't do on my own. Both my parents are gone, and I still long for them, yet she detests her parents despite them still being alive. She hasn't been able to keep a boyfriend despite her attempts, yet I've never wanted to stick myself in a relationship ever since the incident with Aya. Hard to imagine a cheerful upbeat girl like her trying to get herself drunk over simple things, huh?"

" So...what happened then?" Hiroshi asked.

" Hmm..."

-

" Much of the conversation was a bit foggy...after all, I was drunk, you know...we tend to do stupid things and forget them when we were drunk," Mayuri replied as she spoke to both Suzumi and Sora, who listened intently. " Here I was, as drunk as I ever could, telling some stranger my sad life story...in retrospect, I guess it was silly of my to do that...but, maybe I was just desperate or something, as I asked him: So, stranger, what do you think of a sad piece of shit like me?"

" ....And...? What did he say?" Sora asked, so excited she was ready to jump out of the bathtub at any given moment.

" He said: I think you look beautiful, before getting up and leaving the bar," Mayuri replied. Sora started giggling while Suzumi merely looked on in amusement. " Perhaps it was simple flattery, or he wanted to get rid of me by trying to say something nice to me, but his words struck a chord in me. It reminded me that perhaps I had been chasing the wrong thing in my life."

" Chasing after guys isn't wrong..." Sora objected.

" No, that's not what I meant. I mean the reason why I was doing it. See, I come from this old family in the village, so old, they can be considered mouldy furniture, really. With old families come old traditions. I was in no way going to agree to an arranged marriage to some guy who I don't know," Mayuri answered.

" Do they even still do this today?" Sora mused.

" I'm sure some of the families in your village do. Some of these old timers have the obsession about preserving the bloodline or protecting their images. I hated the idea, the liberal rebel that I was. I hated that my marriage wasn't my choice, that I was deprived of something that made me feel free," Mayuri continued. " My parents argued that they were doing me a favour by doing this, since I would be having trouble getting married, and my fiancé was more than willing to accept me. I could not accept it. I wouldn't. Was I this incompetent to not be able to get myself a boyfriend of my own? True, I wouldn't have mind staying single, but the idea did bug me."

" So, I took up their challenge, but perhaps the reason why I had failed was because I was looking for the wrong thing. See, my reason then to get a boyfriend was just to one-up my parents, not because I wanted companionship and love. I couldn't reflect affection back to them, so it was natural for them to not want to return my false feelings," Mayuri replied. " Makoto told me something simple: I am who I am, and I should look for what I really want...it was then I fell in love with him, and I knew he was the perfect guy for me..."

" ...How romantic..." Suzumi sighed.

-

" Took you long enough..." Hibiki scowled at the girls when they came out with new change of clothing after their bath, although he was mainly scowling at Sora, who merely stuck out her tongue. " I didn't know you needed so long to take a bath."

" We were talking..." Mayuri answered.

" Well, whatever. I am full now. Perhaps I should catch some sleep..." Hibiki replied, yawning.

" Oi, why the hell are you complaining about when you didn't even plan on bathing in the first place? You just wanted to irritate me, didn't you?" Sora snarled at him.

" ...I thought that was bloody obvious..." Hibiki sighed. " You will be as thick as you will ever get..."

" I dare you to say that again, prick!" Sora shouted at him.

" Stop it!" Suzumi shouted.

Both of them shut up instantly. Hiroshi was always amazed at how Suzumi would just shut both Hibiki and Sora whenever they were bickering all the time, although he suspected that this time that they were more worried about Suzumi going berserk than anything else.

" You two argue a heck of a lot...perhaps this is not my place to say this, but why do you keep arguing so much as friends. I have yet to hear both of you say anything nice to one another. Making a comparison to both of you as oil and water is an understatement," Suzumi replied. " Or...is this some weird way for the both of you to show each other affection?"

" ...Honestly, I don't like her..." Hibiki replied.

" Same here..." Sora snapped back, glaring at Hibiki.

" Suzumi, don't worry about it too much. Sora and Hibiki may seem to hate each other, but deep down inside, they respect each other. They have assumed some form of rivalry over the years, and even if it does look harsh, they don't really hate each other," Hiroshi tried to reassure her.

" Oh...okay....sorry if I said anything out of place..." Suzumi apologised.

" Hey, don't listen to him...he's lying..." Both Hibiki and Sora answered at the same time.

"...I'm tired...is there somewhere I can sleep?" Suzumi asked.

" Come, there should be a spare room somewhere," Mayuri replied, before guiding Suzumi to her room. " So, how's the watch going to be?"

-

" Ah, my favourite room. Looks like there is a lack of dust here, which is good. I hate to sleep in a room that will induce me to sneeze," Mayuri replied, stretching herself while Makoto leaned on the wall at the corner, observing her. " Well, it has been a while since we have gotten together, huh? Although considering the circumstances of this mission, perhaps I shouldn't be too happy about it."

" ...You still sound happy..." Makoto muttered.

" Hey, handsome, what's this? Do I hear a tone of reluctance? Do I hear some form of lethargy? Something you don't like because I am here?" Mayuri replied.

" ...Would despair be a much better word to use?" Makoto asked.

" How mean. I've been gone for such a long time now, and I was hoping for some show of affection. You could at least just give me a hug, you know," Mayuri replied. " Cuddle me tightly like you always do~"

" ..."

" Geez, Makoto, why am I being the person acting like I have the balls in this group?! I am asking for a nice cuddle. Is that really too much to ask for, hmm?" Mayuri asked, scowling slightly now. " It's not like your friends are still hanging around looking at you now, is it? We have this room to ourselves."

" But..."

Mayuri didn't want to hear an excuse, and when she wants something, she will forcefully get it. She moved next to him, slipping to his back while pushing him off the wall and hugged him from behind, surprisingly him slightly despite doing this often. She wrapped her hands around him affectionately, holding him close. Makoto didn't want to resist, so he merely stood there quietly.

" Mayuri, you know..."

" Shush, I am enjoying the moment, don't ruin it for me~" Mayuri cooed, and Makoto kept quiet. After a while, she replied " You know, I hate to think what might happen..."

" ...Is this about Suzumi?" Makoto asked.

" ...Yes, sort of..."

" It's not like it will happen to you, right?"

" It's not like that, but thinking about it makes me sad. Think of poor Hiroshi, and how he must be feeling right now. The poor guy must be heartbroken, yet he's refusing to tell Suzumi the truth. I don't think I'll be able to take it if I were in his position," Mayuri replied.

" Yeah, I know," Makoto replied, before breaking Mayuri's grasp on him and turning around to kiss her on her cheek.

-

Hiroshi sat down next to the stove in the kitchen where he had set up a fire, since it was freezing cold outside now, a scroll in his hand as he was reading the contents. It was his turn to keep watch, and he was keeping himself occupied by reading some of his materials. All of them were already sleeping at this point, Hibiki and Sora sharing a room to themselves while Makoto and Mayuri had the sole bedroom to themselves. Suzumi was sleeping in an empty storeroom, while Ryouta had been lazing about in the living room.

He put the scroll down and started to rub his hands together. Despite the fire, and the warm cloak he was wearing, he still felt the midnight chill enter his bones. Living in the desert wasn't really Hiroshi's cup of tea. Least he had Suzumi to look forward previously.

The door of the kitchen slid open and Hiroshi merely gave a chuckle. " Wow, this has got to be a record, Ryouta. This isn't even close to midnight, and here you are," Hiroshi replied, yawning loudly. However, he didn't get a reply in turn, and he wondered what was up. " Urm, Ryouta...?"

" ...What makes you think I am Ryouta?" a soft voice asked.

Hiroshi jumped to his feet in alarm when he heard Suzumi speak to him all of a sudden. She looked at him awkwardly, before asking. " Sorry, were you supposed to meet with Ryouta...perhaps I am intruding...?"

" No, most certainly not...it's just...it's just..." Hiroshi replied, only to attempt to think of a suitable response. He wasn't sure how would Suzumi accept that 'Ryouta got up to look at the midnight sky' routine, so he replied " ...Well...he has trouble staying asleep during some times during midnight, so he usually wakes up and bugs whoever is at watch at that time."

" Oh...how curious..." Suzumi mused.

" So...can't sleep?" Hiroshi asked.

" Sort of...I may have some worries in my head," Suzumi replied.

Hiroshi was about to reply when he noticed Suzumi was crossing her arms, rubbing her hands on her arms to keep herself warm. Seeing that, he took off his cloak and threw it over her shoulders, tying it up nicely. She looked at him curiously, before turning aside as she went red in the face. " Are you always this chivalrous?" she asked.

" No, not always..." Hiroshi answered when he was reminded of Sora.

"...Still, I am glad...thanks..." Suzumi answered.

" No problem," Hiroshi answered quietly.

" Do you mind if I keep you company?" she asked.

" ...Sure, I have no complaints," Hiroshi answered.

Suzumi walked over to the stove to get whatever heat there was left from the burnt out embers of the fire Hiroshi started earlier, rubbing her hands to keep herself warm from the cold. Hiroshi sat himself down opposite her, and she looked at him curiously, wondering what was up.

" Is there something wrong?" he asked, seeing her looking at him curiously.

" ...I seemed to have stolen your seat," Suzumi replied after a while.

" I don't mind..." Hiroshi answered, before going silent.

The ever awkward silence occurred between them.

" ...Urm, you don't talk much, do you?" Suzumi asked.

" Well, it depends on what you want to talk about. I hate to make you feel uncomfortable, you know," Hiroshi replied.

Suzumi giggled slightly, and Hiroshi felt a pang of loneliness when he was reminded of how cute she looked when she did that. " Oh, Hiroshi, perhaps the question here is am I making you uncomfortable?" Suzumi laughed.

" ...Hmph, is that a tease?"

" If you would like to interpret it in that manner, then perhaps," Suzumi answered.

" Well, maybe if...Suzumi, are you still cold?" Hiroshi replied, noticing she was still rubbing her hands together.

" Huh? Not really...don't mind me," she replied quietly.

" I hate to see you uncomfortable. Just hang on a sec, I'll go start another fire," Hiroshi answered.

As soon as he was about to go, Suzumi suddenly got up from where she was sitting and grabbed him forcefully. Hiroshi gave a yelp as he was brought crashing to the ground, and his back stung slightly from the fall with Suzumi falling on top of him. Hiroshi was about to get up when Suzumi grabbed both his arms and pinned them forcefully on the ground, before she aggressively pressed her lips on his.

Hiroshi wasn't sure what was happening at the moment, and he stayed on the ground as if he was paralysed, with Suzumi giving a good dose of some paralysis poison. He had never experienced Suzumi being this 'passionate' before, even with her memory intact, so he wasn't sure how to respond to this turn of events.

He was getting excited from all the stimulation, but despite his sub-conscious mind telling him he's going to like what will eventually happen, a nagging doubt was left in his mind. Something was wrong with this scenario, Suzumi pinning him on the ground while aggressively kissing him as if her life depended on it. He didn't want to, but his hands broke free from her grasp as reach towards her face, where he pushed her back.

" Suzumi...? What's...what's wrong with you...?" Hiroshi asked.

" Wrong? Nothing is wrong...nothing is wrong at all..." Suzumi replied, her face blushing terribly now. She then proceeded to take off her attire, removing her jacket and taking off the shirt she had, leaving nothing but her undergarments on. " There is nothing wrong, Hiroshi...I just want...."

If Hiroshi had a nosebleed at this very moment, he wouldn't be the least surprised, because the most revealing outfit he had ever seen her wear was a full body swimsuit. Whatever she was doing was far more potent than any genjutsu she had ever induced upon him.

" It's okay, Hiroshi...just relax..."

" Fuck!"

Without warning, Hiroshi pulled his leg back and kicked her off his body, sending her flying towards the side. He then proceeded to roll to the right and spring onto his feet, his face blushing terribly from the event, and he prompted grabbed her clothes and flung it back at her.

" ...Hiroshi?" Suzumi asked, picking herself up, looking like she was on the verge of tears.

" Damn it, I'm sorry for hurting you, but...damn it! What the fuck did you think you were doing?! And put your clothes back on! I'm not prepared to see your breasts just yet. Are you trying to induce a heart attack on me?!" Hiroshi replied, screaming at the top of his lungs. He wasn't sure why he was screaming, but he somehow knew that he had to.

" But..Hiroshi..." Suzumi stammered, almost going to cry any second now.

" No, you stay put for a minute! I don't know what this is, or what you are doing! You are not Suzumi! I don't know who you are, but you are not Suzumi. You are not the Suzumi I loved, and you are not the Suzumi I know. This has better got to be a fucking genjutsu or I am going to have to murder a couple of kittens after this, cos I am really reaching my breaking point any time now!" Hiroshi replied. " What the fuck is going on here!?"

" Well played...you'd think as a guy you'd think with your balls when someone you like moves onto you," Suzumi suddenly spoke up, but having a drastic change in her voice. It sounded deeper, and darker, not to mention slightly cynical and sarcastic. Hiroshi tried to calm down and look at her, and she was grinning mischievously back at him. " You are absolutely correct, Hiroshi~, I am not Suzumi."


	8. Chapter 7: Dark Suzumi

**Chapter 7: Dark Suzumi**

Hiroshi was panting heavily from his sudden exertion of energy, looking intently at Suzumi. Suzumi merely smiled back at him in a sly, foxy manner, slowly slipping back her clothes like an obedient girl. His mind was racing, mainly from what she just said previously.

"…What?" he muttered.

" You heard me…I am not Suzumi. Well, I don't think I am. I don't ever recall being called Suzumi before in my life…then again, I don't remember a lot of stuff," Suzumi, or the figure that looked like Suzumi spoke to him.

" Guys! Hey, wake up!" Hiroshi yelled out all of a sudden.

" Oh, stop shouting, it's not like they can hear you," she replied.

Fearing the worst, Hiroshi tore out of the kitchen in an instant, only to end up in the kitchen again, with Suzumi apparently still in it, smiling mischievously at him. Skidding to a halt, he took a look behind him, only to see the kitchen right behind him. It then dawned on him that he was apparently stuck in a genjutsu.

" Geez, what's the hurry? I wanted to talk, so why are you leaving so fast?" Suzumi asked.

" Shut it! Talk?! What kind of bullshit is that? You tried to seduce me just now," Hiroshi shouted back.

" Well, since I thought we were in a relationship, I figured it might be okay for us to get a little intimate," Suzumi replied.

" That has got to be the dumbest…wait, did you say we are in a relationship?" Hiroshi replied, changing question mid-sentence.

" Of course…you are my boyfriend, aren't you?" Suzumi asked, raising her eyebrows.

Hiroshi didn't get what was going on. Suzumi had lost all memory of him ever being her boyfriend, yet this girl seemed to know his relationship with her. Not to mention Hiroshi has never seen Suzumi act like this before. Something told him this was still Suzumi, but not quite.

" You know…me?" Hiroshi asked.

" Geez, of course…what the hell are you talking about?" Suzumi replied. " Sorry, I guess being too forward has caused you some form of shock…I wonder what do I actually see in you, really…"

" You…aren't suffering from amnesia?" Hiroshi asked.

" …Was I?" Suzumi asked.

" Hang on, I've just spent the last few days with you having a memory loss, and now you come here, trap me in some genjutsu and tell me that you remember me?!" Hiroshi exclaimed. " Fine, let's say you remember me. Tell me, when was the first time I kissed you?"

" 7 years ago, after finishing your training with my team after two months, the day you left and told me you accepted my feelings for you," Suzumi answered without missing a beat, or even turning a shade of red.

Hiroshi knew she wasn't lying. He could hardly imagine anyone else could tell him this kind of information besides her and his friends. Still, he had to remind himself he was inside a genjutsu, and perhaps, his mind was still playing tricks on him.

" …Look, the genjutsu is only limited to keeping you here. Besides trapping your sub-conscious mind in this dimension, I am not playing tricks with your mind," Suzumi answered.

" But you seem to be able to read my mind as well…"

" Well, come on, this is my world. I can do what I want here," Suzumi replied, laughing loudly.

" …And you said you trapped me in a genjutsu to talk…why?" Hiroshi asked.

" Cos it's easier…"

" …That doesn't sound convincing…"

" It's a technique, called Illusion of the Dream's Gate. Basically, what I do is to slowly control your chakra flow in a specific way to make you dream differently, something like a very deep hypnosis. Best part is that we can talk normally here, while your body stays asleep. So, we can talk till morning arrives, but your body will still be sleeping, thus no worries about being tired when you walk up," Suzumi replied. " How's that for a nifty skill, huh?"

" And what about you?" Hiroshi asked, still slightly confused " If you are manipulating this jutsu, you obviously need to be awake. Won't you get tired in the morning?"

" Well, I am sleeping…or the other part of me is…" Suzumi answered.

" Other part?" Hiroshi asked.

" Yeah, the only time where I seem to be able to take control of my body is when 'she' falls asleep. I could easily move around when I am awake and when she is asleep, but then it would make her lethargic in the morning, so it's bad for me as well. So, using this genjutsu allows me to speak with you, while allowing both our body and mind to rest," Suzumi answered. " Pretty nifty, huh?"

All of a sudden, logic started to come crashing down upon him.

" Wait, are you saying that you are some split personality of Suzumi!? An alter ego?!" Hiroshi exclaimed.

" Well…perhaps…" Suzumi answered. " You may be right. I seem vaguely aware of what Suzumi seems to be doing, what she eats, what she says, but I am never in control. I only seem to be able to take over as the second personality only when she is tired and falls asleep, and even then, I don't think she actually knows I am present. There also seems to be a lot of irregularities between me and her."

Hiroshi raised an eyebrow.

" Like what?" he asked.

" Well, like this Mayuri girl. She seems to know her to some degree, but as much as I rack my memory, I can't seem to remember who she is. I have good memory of you, our teammates, my parents…but things about like my village and knowledge about the world at large seem to be fuzzy," Suzumi replied.

Hiroshi seemed to pause from the shock. Connecting the pieces together, he could easily figure out what was going on right now. Whatever happened during that night in Suzumi's mansion, the shinobis had somehow created a split personality of her. Not only that, they seemed to have split her memory between both personalities, so both of them shared the entire memories of what Suzumi used to have.

Then again, why would they do this? Hiroshi had not heard of any technique with this capability of splitting up memories to the point where they could create personalities. Whoever who did this was an expert, considering how hard it has to be to manipulate memories. Surely not to merely irk them, but there has to be some meaning behind this.

" You know, I think the name Suzumi doesn't suit me very well. I was thinking of a change. How about Aya? I've always liked that name: short and sweet. Suzumi just has one too many syllables, and I hate being long. Nagato Aya…yes, I like that," Suzumi replied.

Hiroshi was too deep in thought to give a damn, although he did note that the name sounded familiar and he pondered slightly for a while to think of where he heard of the name before, before shortly giving up, his mind too much of a mess to make heads and tails of things. " Why bother? It's not like…"

Suzumi's next form of action took him by surprise. She lunged at him, slamming her hand right on his neck, before sending him flying backwards as she pinned him singlehandedly on the wall behind him, looking at him with malice. Hiroshi started choking as she lifted him off the floor and pressed him against the wall using her right hand only, her eyes glowing crimson suddenly. Despite being a genjutsu, her actions seem so real.

" Look, I can accept if you don't want to make out, cos I know you boys sometimes go with the flow, but you will not deny me my name," she replied in a dark, evil tone. " Now, say my name…"

" …A-Aya…" Hiroshi replied, before Aya dropped him to the ground, smiling sweetly at him. He coughed slightly, trying to catch his breath. " …How…how is this…"

" …Possible? Don't make me laugh. I can easily cast a genjutsu so powerful I can just kill your brain using an illusion itself. You underestimate my capabilities, Hiroshi. I suggest you don't…after all, you are the weakest amongst the six of us. Me having a genjutsu this potent should not come as a surprise," Suzumi replied, laughing maliciously.

Hiroshi picked himself up, his legs shaking slightly. Suzumi must have learned this jutsu prior to the events in her mansion. It didn't irk him that Suzumi didn't tell him about it, but he wondered when did Suzumi bothered to learn such a potent genjutsu.

" So, Su…no, I mean Aya, what do you plan on doing now?" Hiroshi asked.

" I don't know…kill someone perhaps…?" Aya answered in a bored tone.

Hiroshi was sure he heard those words properly, and he couldn't believe how casually she spoke them. " What do you mean?"

She didn't hesitate. The second he finished his question, she moved towards him at speeds he didn't think was physically possible, and stabbed him in his gut with a kunai. Hiroshi felt the sharp pain in his abdomen, and he started to cough up blood. She twisted the blade, and he felt the sharp pangs of pain jolt through his body.

" What…the…?" Hiroshi gasped.

Aya leaned over and whispered quietly into his ear. " I was bored, Hiroshi. Here's a task for you. Find me someone who I can kill, because I have grown bored waiting for prey over these last few days. Let me kill someone, or I shall haunt you like I did tonight…"

With that, she pulled and ripped the kunai out from his gut.

Hiroshi got up screaming. His brain was telling him he was waking up from a nightmare. He quickly took off his shirt, only to see that there was no stab wound there, no blood, nothing to indicate he was ever injured recently. Still, the thought in his dream that he was so real, he still could feel some lingering effects, like a wound that was supposed to be there but wasn't. It made him sick, and before he knew it, he was tearing out of the house, before vomiting on the front of the house, his head dizzy and his body weak.

When he was done, he tried to catch his breath and took a look around him. The sun was just breaking at the horizon, indicating morning had arrived. The rest of his friends should be waking up at any moment now. He slowly picked himself up and started to walk back inside, only to meet Suzumi at the front door, which made him shout out in alarm.

" Kyaa! Sorry, didn't mean to scare you…" she apologized, trying to make herself as small as possible by covering her face and buckling her knees slightly.

" Oi, what's all this ruckus right off the bat in the morning! I am trying to catch some shut eye, you know!" Sora shouted from somewhere inside.

" Wait one minute! Weren't you the last one keeping watch? Why the hell are you sleeping on your watch?! Heck, you should be the one waking all of us up!?" Hibiki shot back.

" Ah, nuts! Don't sweat on the minor details," Sora sighed, before the inside of the house became quiet again.

" You all are a lively bunch, no?" Suzumi replied to Hiroshi, giggling slightly.

Hiroshi looked at her warily. Suzumi was back to her own self, not like the dark personality he had experienced before. He wondered if it was all a dream, but he had never experienced a dream that was this real, or an illusion this powerful. If it really was just a dream, he had no idea why his sub-conscious mind would want to do something like this.

" Is there something wrong with my face?" Suzumi asked quietly when she noticed that he was looking at her with a worried face.

" Oh, nothing…come on, let's go in. I'll need to prepare breakfast…" Hiroshi replied.

As soon as Suzumi turned around, Hiroshi felt a chill in his spine when he heard a barely audible whisper coming from her which said 'Do not forget…'

" What…?" he gasped, wondering if he was going mad at this point in time.

Suzumi merely turned around and looked at him, wondering why he was still standing outside looking shell-shocked while staring at her.


	9. Chapter 8: Crossing Borders

**Chapter 8: Crossing Borders**

" Oi!"

" Huh?!" Hiroshi muttered, snapping back to attention.

" Damn, you must be really distracted today. I've lost count on the number of times I've insulted you within the last three minutes, and I have yet to receive reply from you," Sora replied as all seven of them were crossing the desert. " You don't seem yourself today. Didn't get enough sleep or what?"

" Something like that…" Hiroshi gave a half-hearted reply.

" Typical, really…" Sora mused.

" Are you implying something here?" Hibiki asked.

Hiroshi still couldn't get the dream out of his head. It was all a dream, yet somehow he couldn't just accept it as just a dream. Something about it reeked of some form of foul play, and despite him hating it, he seemed to be subconsciously distancing himself from Suzumi, as if scared that her alter-ego would somehow pop out of her and start killing him. The sickening feeling of having his gut stabbed still lingered. It is not that he couldn't withstand pain, but the feeling of having a stab wound that was not there, it somehow made him somewhat sick.

All of them left as soon as Hiroshi had prepared breakfast and ate on the way while they continued on their travel back to the Leaf village. Nothing eventful happened, save crossing several kilometers in the desert. From where they were now, they were close to the Fire country border. From there, it should take just another day to reach their destination, assuming they were keeping at the pace they were travelling. Suzumi seemed to be doing well in keeping up with the entire group, with Sora insisting on travelling at top speed.

" Why don't you stop pestering the poor kid and pay more attention to your surroundings?" Mayuri replied.

" Hey, I get to bug him however I want!" Sora replied.

" …Poor kid?" Hiroshi mused, unsure if he fancied the use of such words to describe him.

" Urm, where are we now?" Suzumi asked.

" Pretty close to the borders of our countries. It's a little far, but can you spot the forests at the distance? Once we reach there, we are pretty much entered the Fire country border already," Ryouta replied. " Actually, we are pretty much on the border itself. It's hard to draw the line where your country actually ends, you know…leaders can get picky over such simple things."

" Interesting…" Suzumi mused. " Will there be an outpost? Or a patrol?"

" Barely," Makoto answered. " Ever since our villages and our lords have signed the treaty of the Second Alliance, patrols and outpost duties on our countries borders are down by 95%. It's hard to keep watch over a large area, so if our villages can trust each other, we can keep our internal borders safe while we use shinobis to guard other borders."

" There is still this skeleton crew working along the border just to make sure everything is fine, but we are not likely to run into any shinobis along the border anyway," Ryouta answered.

" It's not like we are going to run into any trouble, right?" Sora replied.

" Typically, whenever someone says that, they almost always run into trouble," Hibiki replied. " Can you please not jinx us?!"

" Wait!"

All of them skidded to a halt when Hiroshi shouted all of a sudden. Hiroshi didn't realize it at first, since his mind was too busy thinking about Suzumi, but he figured something was odd with the desert somewhat. He couldn't put his finger on it, and it was merely a gut feeling, but his team had survived multiple scenarios based on gut feeling alone, and he wasn't going to pass this one up.

" What is it, Hiroshi?" Ryouta asked, slightly concerned.

Hiroshi frowned, wondering what was wrong. " …Makoto, this may be a dumb question, but could there be any indication that…someone passed through this area recently?" Hiroshi asked.

Makoto wasn't sure where this question was leading. " …I can't say. The desert is very good at hiding tracks, and it was windy since 4am. I can only confirm that nobody was here since 4am, but if anyone did pass through here before, I cannot tell. So, the only thing I can say is that nobody has passed through here for the last 4 hours, besides us," Makoko answered.

" …But…why do I get the feeling someone did pass through this area before then…and I somehow sense we are walking into a trap?" Hiroshi mused.

"…He's…joking, right?" Suzumi muttered.

" No, Suzumi. Hiroshi is one of the best trap expects I have ever encountered, and he has this uncanny sense of sensing traps far better than anyone. All of us here are still alive only because Hiroshi has saved us at the very least once from getting ourselves killed in a trap before," Ryouta replied, turning serious. " …Hiroshi, what's your basis for your feeling?"

" Something is out of place…I can't…I can't really put my finger on it," Hiroshi answered, his voice trembling slightly.

He wasn't even sure why. Something about crossing this place felt dangerous to him, like his six sense told him the minute he passed this patch of desert, he will be returning to a place of no return. The rest of them looked at him warily, while Sora looked impatiently at him.

" Makoto, what can you sense so far?" Ryouta asked, turning to their team's tracker.

" …Nothing suspicious for a 5 kilometer diameter," he answered.

" I can confirm at 1 kilometer," Sora answered. She had managed to learn some of Makoto's sound tricks, since she utilizes sound jutsu as well, serving as the Leaf team's tracker. " …Although, I think Hiroshi is getting somewhere. There is something odd about the desert."

" Really?" Hiroshi asked. " What is it?"

To reply, Sora bent down and scooped up a handful of sand, before placing it close to her nose and sniffing it. " …The sand smells weird," she replied.

" You know, the sand smells like sand," Hibiki replied.

" No, she's right!" Hiroshi exclaimed, before jumping on the spot where Sora had picked up the handful of sand, before started to dig furiously. " Help me dig!"

" Hey, you are wasting your energy…let me do it," Makoto replied.

Forming his hand seals, Makoto collected the chakra in his lungs, and then expelled it. All of them covered their faces as Makoto blew a powerful breath of wind, kicking up a small sand storm. Countless amounts of sand flew all over the place, and after a while, he stopped, and Hiroshi founded what he was looking for.

At a small sand hole about 4 feet deep, there was a faint trail of what looked like blood. From its smell, Hiroshi could tell it was human blood, and it was made fairly recently, although the recent could be anywhere between 1 hour ago to 4 hours ago. Assuming Makoto was right about a sandstorm, this mean the blood here was split just before the sandstorm ended on the wee hours this morning.

" Oh God…is that..human blood?" Mayuri gasped slightly.

" I can confirm that it is," Hiroshi replied, reaching down and touching the blood-crusted sand. " Something bleed here some time ago, and from the looks, it looks like it is headed in the direction we are going…"

" …What does this mean?" Hibiki asked.

" Someone died here?" Sora asked.

" No, not quite, but at least from the amount of blood I see, at least someone was wounded," Suzumi replied. Jumping down the hole, she touched some of the sand with her fingers, before gingerly licking it. " …Female, probably 12 years of age. AB blood type, most likely taijutsu type shinobi user…and I think she's a foreign shinobi."

" Holy crap, you can tell that all from taste?!" Sora exclaimed in surprise.

" Yes. Using micro chakra control, I can sort of analyse data at a microbiology level…" Suzumi replied. " Strange…I don't even remember learning how to do this…is this something I had forgotten from my amnesia…"

" Where does this lead?" Ryouta asked.

" As I said, exactly where we are heading," Hiroshi answered.

" How cold is the trail?" Ryouta asked.

" …4-5 hours, the most…" Suzumi and Hiroshi answered at the same time.

" Alright, I want a vote. If the majority wins, then we go find out what happened, if not, we will continue with the mission," Ryouta replied.

" Vote? Why is there even a voting? I mean, Suzumi just said some foreign shinobi is here, apparently having bled some amount of blood here. This seems to be some form of foreign intrusion," Sora argued. " We have to check it out!"

" I am inclined by duty to check it out, but hear me out first," Ryouta replied. " I, too, feel like this is a trap. Here is my reasoning for why I think so from the facts we have gathered so far: One, a 12 year old female shinobi. Now, can I ask what is a 12 year old foreign female shinobi doing in these parts? From her age, I doubt she is anything higher than a chuunin, and she is most likely a genin. What is she doing here? Did she come her by herself, or was she brought here?"

" Second, this trail leads to exactly where we are heading. Now, how the hell does a foreign shinobi know the routes for our own highways. These routes are merely set out specifically for us to traverse. Not even our normal villages use them, so how would a foreign shinobi know it, and coincidentally use it?" Ryouta replied. " If she wanted a treat her wounds and find a place to rest, there was an oasis a kilometer back. Why cross 5 kilometers of desert just to reach the forests?"

" You are basing it on guess?" Hibiki asked.

" I know, but this is what I feel," Ryouta replied. " Now, I hate walking into traps, but I want to hear your vote. Do we continue on to see what's ahead, or do we divert our path? I am inclined to divert our path, because I think this is a trap somehow. I vote no," Ryouta replied.

" I second that," Makoto replied.

" Are you a chicken?! I'm saying yes, cos we need to find out what is this woman doing here!" Sora exclaimed.

" …I hate agreeing with her, but I think this suspicious circumstances need to be investigated. Yes, that's my vote," Hibiki replied.

" No," Mayuri replied curtly.

" …Yes…" Hiroshi answered quietly.

" The deciding vote goes to you," Ryouta replied to Suzumi, who was still inside the hole Makoto dug. " What do you say?"

-

All seven of them continued on their way, following their original path, all of them quiet and solemn now, with the blood giving them some form of an ominous, dangerous warning. Hiroshi had no idea what was in his head, considering that he figured this was a trap anyway, but perhaps the word of an injured 12 year old female shinobi made him feel guilty if he decided to leave her unattended.

" Alright, we have managed to cross the desert, and we are at the border of the forests," Sora said as they stopped just before the boundaries of the forest trees that grew around the area. " Find anything yet?"

" No, nothing remotely suspicious…so far," Makoto replied, keeping his ears peeled.

" Do you think we were just being overly paranoid?" Hibiki asked.

" I think being paranoid is a job requirement for us," Ryouta chuckled.

" Oh, right…I am always paranoid," Hibiki replied.

" Mostly when Sora's around, right?" Mayuri answered.

" Of course, he has to," Sora replied snarling.

" Hey, stop arguing! Where is Suzumi?" Hiroshi snapped at them.

All of them looked around, only to realize that Suzumi was nowhere around them. " Damn it, she went into the forest. Come one, follow me!" Makoto exclaimed, dashing through the trees, with the rest of them following him closely.

It didn't take too long, since Suzumi didn't go too far, as they found her standing shell-shocked at the sight before her several meters into the forest. The rest of them approached her cautiously, not sure if they could stand the sight before them.

Pinned up high on a tree was the said shinobi in question. Like Suzumi said, she was 12 years of age, and had long lustrous hair hanging down by the side of her head. Her arms and legs were stabbed by kunais, all of them pinning her body on the tree. From the looks of it, she looked like she was already gone from the world.

Without wasting any time, Ryouta and Makoto leaped up the tree, taking out the kunais and bringing down her body. Her face was stuck in a painful expression, and it was obvious she suffered a lot before she expired. Her blood was still fresh, so whoever did this had done it recently.

" Poor thing…" Suzumi whimpered.

" Would you look at that? She's from the hidden Blood village," Hibiki noted, noticing her forehead protector that was tied around her left arm. " …What's she doing so far away from home?"

The Hidden Blood village was a village of a small country somewhere very far up north east, somewhere past the hidden village of Cloud. It was a relatively isolated village, and due to it being so far away from the other countries, especially the major ones, it didn't stand out much and did not manage to garner any influences, but despite its rather quiet take on the political arena, it was still quite a major village, even for a minor shinobi village. Some of the lords there were powerful enough to influence countries, and Konoha has listed them as a threat to their security, despite them staying quiet throughout history.

" She apparently wasn't alone," Sora replied.

" What?!" Ryouta exclaimed.

Sora moved off towards the left, and they followed her, leaving the poor girl behind. They were greeted by the sight of three other shinobis, all around 12 years of age, two boys and another girl. All three of them were sprawled on the ground, having suffered multiple wounds on their body, and were covered in blood. However, the difference between them and the girl they found was that they were apparently still alive, even if barely.

" They are still breathing! We might be able to save them!" Suzumi exclaimed, before immediately leaping towards the injured Blood-nins. However, Ryouta grabbed on to her arm, stopping her from moving. She looked at him with an incredulous look on her face. " Ryouta, why are you stopping me?! Are we not going to help them and leave them to bleed to death?"

" …I don't like this one bit…" Ryouta replied.

" …Are you that heartless?" Suzumi exclaimed.

" Listen, this isn't whether I am heartless or not. I am looking at the bigger picture here," Ryouta answered sternly. " This area is on the outskirts of our countries, and here we find 4 shinobis from a foreign land, not to mention from a country who is slightly hostile towards us. Moreover, they are kids, looking from their age, 12 years roughly. Getting here from their country would take a good 9 days, a week at the best, to come here, and they would have to pass through 3 countries that bar entry to Blood-nins. Even I can see this is a sort of set-up!"

" Ryouta is right. I can't imagine anything other than a set-up," Makoto replied.

" Question is: do we accept this set-up?" Hibiki replied.

" What?!" Sora exclaimed.

" I don't know about you, but even if this was set up for us to rescue them, I think it'll leave a bad taste in my mouth if I let them be," Hibiki replied. " I don't know what this is, but I, for one, don't want them to die on my watch."

Ryouta folded his arms and started to ponder. " Ryouta, we don't have time! They are dying as we speak!" Suzumi shouted.

" Makoto, what do you think?" Ryouta asked.

" …Do we have a choice…?" Makoto asked.

" Damn it! Keep an eye on the surrounding area! I want to be informed the moment you hear anything remotely suspicious," Ryouta replied. " Hiroshi, Suzumi, treat them immediately! We are moving out the moment we are done."

Hiroshi and Suzumi reacted so fast it was almost as if they were just waiting for Ryouta to give them the signal. Hiroshi immediately went to the closest shinobi, who looked like the youngest amongst the lot. Checking for a pulse, he was barely able to feel it, and he ran his chakra on his hands to check his status. The kid had multiple stab wounds on his body, so Hiroshi quickly started to close his wounds, making sure his internal organs were in relatively good shape. Some colour managed to return to the boy's face, and he managed to take deeper breaths now, but he was still unconscious.

Suzumi didn't seem to manage to lose any of her touch in healing people, since by the time Hiroshi was done, she was halfway done with her second patient, the girl. Like Hiroshi, she managed to treat their more serious wounds first to stabilize them.

" I've managed to administer first-aid, and they are safe for now. I'll need to treat them later," Suzumi replied.

" How did they sustain those injuries?" Mayuri asked.

" …Stab wounds…mainly cause by kunais…" Suzumi answered.

" Guys, let's get out of here now," Makoto replied. " Hiroshi was right. This is a trap. We are being ambushed right now!"


	10. Chapter 9: Breaking Barriers

**Chapter 9: Breaking Barriers**

" How many?!" Ryouta exclaimed.

" A grand total of 50, maybe more. They are spread out in a circle and closing on us, fast," Makoto replied, straining his ears to pick up the noises in the distance. " This…this is far too fucking elaborate…"

Ryouta did consider it, and he wondered if this was merely a trap set up to that they might be able to abduct Suzumi. Ryouta expected some form of resistance, but to send a task force of 50 shinobis just to get them was just something else. They must be really desperate, or the prize was too great, so great they would risk war with the Blood village.

" Never mind that, I was expecting something like this anyway," Ryouta replied with some urgency in his voice. " Get these three shinobis now! We are getting out of here!"

" What about…?!"

" The other girl is dead. No point carrying a dead body, it's going to slow us down," Ryouta answered quickly.

Hiroshi didn't argue any further, understanding Ryouta's logic as he quickly picked up one of the shinobis, while Hibiki and Sora took one of the remaining two. Still, there was this nagging suspicion that they should somehow take the body, but Hiroshi couldn't figure out why. This morning has been a roller coaster ride of gut feelings, and he wasn't sure what to believe in now.

" Makoto, at which direction do they have the least amount of people?" Ryouta asked.

" I suppose that you plan on breaking through the path of least resistance," Makoto replied. " However, I have a better plan at hand. Will you allow me to lead?"

Ryouta looked curiously at him, and so did the rest of them. It was uncommon for Makoto to take the initiative, despite being the second in command. However, Ryouta figured that Makoto must have a plan in hand, an considering he was the one who had full understanding of their position, he would know best. All Ryouta did was nod his head.

" Follow me!" Makoto replied, before breaking off towards the direction they were originally heading towards. All of them broke off at top speed, moving as quickly as their legs could propel them forward. Makoto took the lead this time, leaping from branch to branch

" Anyway, what's your plan of action?" Sora asked.

" I plan to break through the area with the largest number of people, which is coincidentally the area we were supposed to traverse through anyway," Makoto answered confidently.

" Wha…are you sure it's a good idea, Makoto?!" Suzumi exclaimed.

" Of course it is! Have faith in my darling," Mayuri replied. " I'll be taking center stage, and I'll show you why I am always given an overseas mission."

The Leaf team looked curiously at each other, wondering what she meant by it, and it didn't help matters that Mayuri, Makoto and even Hibiki seemed to be grinning happily, as if something good was going to show up. They figured Mayuri would be the one to somehow manage their escape, but to pass through the enclosure with the most amount of resistance was a little worrisome.

" Can you manage it?" Makoto asked Mayuri.

" How big do you want it?" Mayuri asked cheekily.

" As big as you can make it," Makoto anwered.

" Righto~!" Mayuri exclaimed, before forming her hand seals.

" 10 seconds starting now!" Makoto replied.

" Alright, guys, prepare your chakra to run on water," Hibiki warned the rest of them.

" Run on water? …Wait, how can she…"

Hiroshi stopped mid-sentence when he suddenly felt a massive build-up of chakra within Mayuri, almost to an explosive level. Ryouta himself has an unnaturally large chakra pool, but the amount that seemed to be emitted from Mayuri this very instant made Ryouta's one look small. If anything, hers was gigantic.

" Now!" Makoto exclaimed.

" Water release: Grand Tsunami Crash!" Mayuri exclaimed.

In an instant, Mayuri spewed a massive body of water from her mouth, like the inside of her stomach was a never ending supply of fluids. The amount of water the came out of her mouth was so much it was pretty much enough to fill up a lake. The body of water shot forward, forming the shape of a massive wave, the largest Hiroshi has ever seen. He barely managed to catch the sight of several figures emerge in front of him, before they looked up in horror at the terror of the tsunami before them, before being rapidly swallowed up as the tsunami crashed down upon them. Mayuri, in an instant, managed to flood an entire forest, and although the water was subsiding rapidly, there was still a large body of water to cross.

" …Holy cow! You managed to pull out so much water out of nowhere!" Sora exclaimed in shock, her jaw opened wide in shock.

" Well, this is why I am always given an overseas mission, cos my water jutsus are almost useless in my country where there is just so much desert," Mayuri replied.

" That's dandy, but now let's move," Makoto exclaimed.

With Mayuri paving an unconventional path for them to pass, all of them quickly continued forward, running across the massive body of water. Ryouta understood Makoto's plan now. Mayuri had the capabilities of breaking through using force, and Makoto wanted to take out as many of their pursuers in one shot so they would have less trouble fending them off.

However, a couple of them somehow managed to break through the surface, and no doubt, to be able to surface so fast under such circumstances, they had to be of jounin class.

" Tch! Useless bums! They will wish that they had stayed underwater when I am done with them!" Sora exclaimed. " Come on Hibiki, let's tear them new assholes! You take the left one!"

" Don't order me around!" Hibiki shot back, but he took his Hime from his back regardless.

Both Sora and Hibiki shot towards their target in an instant, being the fastest combatants in their teams, reached their targets well before they emerged fully from the watery depths. Sora slammed into her target, smashing her palm right into his gut. The shinobi's eyes widened in shock, but Sora was far from finished. She single handedly picked him up with one hand, lifting him into the air, before shouting out loud.

" Explode!"

She charged a shockwave pulse through her hand, before being discharged into the shinobi. The resulting blast was as loud as a crackling roar of thunder, and from the looks of it, Hiroshi knew Sora had just shattered all the shinobis bones and crushed all his internal organs all at one go, the blast position perfectly so that she would purposely miss his spine, so he would suffer excruciating pain just before he died.

Hibiki drew his arm backwards, taking careful aim, before launching his weapon like a missile. Hime flew forward, spinning like a drill as it went flying towards its intended target. It hit the shinobi just as he was exiting the water, piercing a gaping hole in his chest, making him drop back into the water in a heap. Using two long leaps, Hibiki went forth and recovered his weapon just as it hit the water's surface.

" …That was swift…" Suzumi whispered, slightly shocked at the brutal execution of the two shinobis, not to mention being able to pull off a killing blow so efficiently while carrying people on their backs.

" Come on, we don't have much time to make a break from here!" Makoto exclaimed.

All of them started to make a break for it, making their way along as fast as they could go. Nobody seemed to be chasing them for a long time, but Makoto didn't intend to stop anytime soon. Hiroshi was getting a little tired from carrying his patient, since he wasn't as tough in terms of stamina compared to the likes of Sora or Hibiki, but he tried his best to hide his fatigue.

They crossed more areas of forest, passing through areas that were no longer flooded now, and to areas beyond. It was only after running for more than half an hour did Makoto initiated a stop. He tried to catch his breath, listening to external sounds to the best of his capabilities.

" …I can't hear them now. I think we are safe for now, but I would suggest we move quickly as soon as we treat these kids, least they decide to track us, which I think they will do," Makoto replied, panting heavily.

Sora and Hibiki set the injured Blood-nins down, and Suzumi and Hiroshi immediately set out to finish their treatment, while the others gathered around to discuss the proceedings.

" That was ridiculous! 50 flunkies after Suzumi! I wish I was that famous!" Sora exclaimed.

" What I am more worried is the method," Ryouta replied. " They knew where we would be heading. Also, I am a bit worried about why they would go so far to use 4 Blood-nins to slow us down."

" …Just for kicks?" Mayuri suggested.

" No, these are just kids. It's not likely that they pass through all the countries that stand between here and their country. I think it's more likely that they have been abducted, injured and placed here specifically to slow us down," Makoto replied. " Consider this: If they are chasing us, and we are carrying injured shinobis, wouldn't that make it easier for them to catch up? Also, having invalids will make it harder for us to fight."

" Whatever it is, there has been a blatant leak in information! All this was set up before hand! Someone knew we were coming here!" Hibiki replied.

" But who?" Makoto asked. " The only ones who have been informed of this mission is the Kazekage who initiated this mission, you, Mayuri, Suzumi, and me. So, unless you are suggesting that the Kazekage wanted to abduct Suzumi in such a fashion, while using some force of unknown 50 missing-nins, I don't think that makes any sense."

" …I may have another idea…" Mayuri replied. " But…this is a more unlikely scenario, cos my idea consists of our enemies managing to torture and extract information from our Kazekage."

" …That…doesn't even sound likely…" Hibiki noted.

" I don't think that is the case. If anything, to even ship those Blood-nins here would take some time, and I don't think the four of the could just be coincidentally hanging around the neighbourhood," Ryouta replied. " The information leak happened before we even left the village, from the looks of it, and the Kazekage isn't one to be trifled with. I don't think he would spill the beans on us."

" How's the treatment coming along?" Mayuri asked.

" They'll live. Thankfully, we managed to close up their wounds, and other than some blood loss, they are not in any form of risk," Hiroshi replied, wiping the sweat from his brow, before sitting himself down on a patch of grass. " Today has been hectic…"

" …Looks like one of them is waking up," Sora noted.

And indeed, one of them looked like he was waking up. His face was scrunched up in pain, but slowly, he managed to open his eyes, before taking a look around him. The first thing he saw was Suzumi, who looked at him curiously and asked him " And how are you feeling today?"

Hiroshi didn't know how he even managed it, but he attributed his reflexes at that time by being close to Suzumi. The boy's arm shot up towards Suzumi's face, a kunai mysteriously in his grasp. Hiroshi reached out in an instant, before catching the kunai just right before it hit her in the face. The boy pulled himself free, before rolling himself backwards before frantically standing up in pain.

" Oi! What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Sora shouted, almost ready to pounce on the kid within any given moment.

" I should ask you the same question! What do you think you are doing to me!?" the boy shouted, raising his kunai. His wounds have managed to open up again, and blood was seeping out from the new bandages Suzumi had just wrapped around him.

" Stop, don't exert yourself!" Suzumi exclaimed in alarm, wanting to rush towards the kid, but Hiroshi prevented him from doing so. " You'll kill yourself. Place that weapon down and sit down!"

" Why would I do that?!" the kid exclaimed, sounding slightly delirious.

" Cos we are here to help you," Suzumi pleaded again.

" Help? Even after attacking us?" the boy demanded.

" Attack you? Since when? Are you sure you are not confusing us with someone else?" Hibiki asked.

The boy looked around warily, taking a good look at the surrounding are, and his two comrades who were on the ground nearby, having been treated. He then noticed he was bleeding again, and he felt light-headed.

" …You…aren't here to kill me?" he asked.

" Kid," Makoto spoke up, snapping his fingers, making the kunai in his hand shatter into a hundred pieces. " If we wanted to kill you, we would have done so in an instant, not dress you up in bandages. We found you somewhere west of here, along with your injured comrades, one unfortunately dead. We just managed to escape from an ambush, and we ended up here. If you trust us, I suggest you sit down, and perhaps when we are well rested, we can have a good talk with one another."

The kid merely glared at Makoto, but seeing that his lone weapon had been rendered useless in a blink of an eye, it was obvious that he could not possibly put up much of a fight at this point, so he merely resigned himself to his fate, and sat down quietly. Suzumi approached him carefully, before fixing up the wound he had just opened up after exerting himself so much despite being injured. He took a look around, before noticing something odd.

" There were four of us. Where…where is my sister?" he asked quietly.

" …She didn't make it, and we couldn't afford to bring her along. Forgive us," Ryouta answered.

" …I see…" the boy replied, before sinking back like he was depressed, which he had very good reason to. " …Thank you anyway…"

" I suggest you get some rest. You haven't fully recovered, and we don't want to make any rash movements of yet. When you have recovered, we can talk," Suzumi suggested. The boy merely nodded his head, before lying down slowly and closing his eyes before slowly falling asleep.

" Are our enemies still chasing us?" Ryouta asked Makoto.

" Not as far as I can tell," Makoto replied.

" Alright, we are moving out. We need to find somewhere safe to put up camp for a while before we make our next move, and we cannot move very effectively with 3 injured people in tow," Ryouta replied.


	11. Chapter 10: Bloodnin's Scheme

**Chapter 10: Blood-nin's Scheme**

Hayate was woken up by the smell of something warm and fragrant entering his nostrils, and the pungent smell of smoke disrupted his dreams. He slowly got up, careful to not open his wounds again like yesterday, before taking a good look at his surroundings. He had been moved to what looked like a small cave, and beside him lay two of his comrades. He was suddenly reminded that his sister was not with her, and it made his heart ache.

He tried to follow the source of the smell of smoke and it came from the entrance, where one of the Leaf-nins could be seen starting a fire and heating up something in an iron box. It smelt fragrant, and nice, although Hayate could not imagine what in the world was he cooking.

His attention turned towards his left when he heard someone stir. The female Blood-nin was now awake, looking sleepy and tired, but her eyes suddenly widened in shock when she took in her unfamiliar surroundings, only to calm down when she spotted Hayate.

" …Hayate, where are we?" she asked, sounding scared, before noticing the other Blood-nin next to her and tried to wake him up by shaking him roughly. " Masaki, this is no time to be sleeping…wake up!"

" Ow ow ow ow! Stop, I'm hurt. Don't shake me up too much," Masaki replied. " You are rough as always, Mai. The only feminine thing about you is your big bum and your large breasts…Ow ow ow ow! Hey, I said, I was hurt!"

" Well, well…looks who is up? You three look like a lively bunch," Sora replied, walking up to them. Masaki and Mai seem to slink backwards at the sight of her, although Hayate merely stared at her with a bored expression. " Hey, you all are hungry? Hiroshi has cooked some bread for us. We can have breakfast now since all of you are apparently up."

" …Hayate, who is she? No wait, who are they?" Mai asked.

" …I don't know, but I do know they are not hostile," Hayate answered, before his stomach rumbled hungrily. " What we need now is sustenance, and I suggest we will decide what to do after eating some breakfast."

-

" What voracious appetite," Sora commented.

" Like you are one to talk. You eat like a pig," Hibiki replied. " Well, they are growing kids, so they must need more food, like we did before."

Hiroshi merely chuckled as he continued to look at the three Blood-nins feasting on the bread he had just baked. He made it just using basic ingredients, and he didn't have any yeast with him so it was really tough, but all three Blood-nins were eating it with such passion as if their lives depended on it. All of them took large chunks of bites off the bread they were given while chugging it down with large gulps of water they had been supplied with in canteens. It didn't take too long for them to finish their breakfast.

" Thank you for the meal. We are grateful to you all for feeding us. On behalf of my team, I thank you," Hayate replied, before bowing down in front of them, with Masaki and Mai quickly following suit.

" Wait…please…no…I just baked some bread…don't do this…" Hiroshi replied.

" Perhaps we can start with introductions. It will be hard to discuss things if we do not know each other," Mayuri suggested.

" Don't worry, I know who you all are," Hayate answered calmly. " On the Leaf team, you must be the legendary Phoenix of Konoha, Sato Ryouta, and the infamous Sonic Fang, Tanaka Sora, plus, the well known weapons technician of the Leafs, Suzuki Hiroshi. I feel honoured to be in your presence."

Hiroshi and Sora were not sure what to say, but Ryouta looked at Hayate suspiciously, wondering what was this kid trying to imply.

" Damn, 'Sonic Fang'? I can understand why you would call Ryouta the Phoenix of Konoha, but why call Sora the Sonic Fang?" Hibiki asked.

" Oh, Sora is very well-known in our village. After all, not even the combined kill count of all the countries can compare to the number of shinobis from my village that had been killed by you, after all," Hayate answered, looking at Sora who was merely grinning madly at him. " Oh, don't worry, I do not hold you in contempt or anything."

" …Do we all go by nicknames in your village?" Makoto asked.

" Why, since you ask, of course you all do," Hayate replied, smiling widely now. " Since our village is a small, minor one, we gain power and status by using information, as for us, information is gold. And all of you are famous in your own, right, are you not?"

" I don't see why you would hold us in such high regard," Hiroshi replied. " I mean, we are pretty much rookie jounins anyway."

" But, you managed to attain such a rank when the average jounin age is much higher, closer to 28, depending on where you are from. That, is quite an amazing achievement for someone so young, and not to mention there are a bunch of you here," Hayate replied. " My village keeps a close eye on you all, so I have read from the stuff I have back home. You are also well-known in some circles as well."

Suzumi looked worriedly at the rest of her teammates, who were looking at Hayate with mixed expressions. Mai and Masaki looked worriedly at Hayate, wondering what did he plan on doing by taking the conversation this way.

" But, we are going off topic now. The Sand team consists of Nagato Suzumi, Kisurugi Makoto, Gendou Hibiki and Mizuno Mayuri," Hayate replied. " Allow me to introduce ourselves. My name is Hagane Hayate, and since we are in such a predicament, I assume I am the leader of my team, which consists of Sasaki Masaki and Higa Mai. The unfortunate girl you fail to save yesterday was none other than my sister, Hagane Misa, but I would like to thank you nevertheless for trying."

Mai suddenly gasped all of a sudden upon hearing the news, while Masaki continued to try and look stoic. Hayate gave them a glance, before turning back to the shinobis who they were speaking with. " I assume you have a lot of questions for us. I shall, and am willing, to answer any queries to the best of my ability, unless it poses a problem to the security of my nation. What would you like to ask of me?" Hayate replied after a while.

" Right, we can start of first by asking how did you end up here?" Ryouta asked.

" …We were kidnapped," Hayate answered.

" Kidnapped?" Hiroshi asked.

" Yes. I remember being abducted from my own home by a bunch of people, and the next thing I knew it, I was being transported in a caravan, before being knocked out once more. After I woke up again, I saw Suzumi…I must apologise for yesterdays behavior, totally rude of me…and the rest is as you know it," Hayate answered.

" Something similar happened to me," Mai answered. " I was on a simple delivery mission when I was ambushed before I knew it…not that I could have put up much of a fight. And…ended up here…"

" I…don't remember much. I was sleeping in my uncle's house, then I ended up here the next day," Masaki replied, scratching his head.

" …You don't even remember being kidnapped?!" Mai exclaimed loudly.

" No, obviously not. I am a very sound sleeper," Masaki answered.

" Geez, I can see why you ended up here," Mai scolded him.

" But you said yesterday that you thought us Leafs attacked you. Were your kidnappers Leaf-nins?" Ryouta asked.

" …They were wearing Leaf-headbands, but now, after thinking a little bit, they are not likely Leaf-nins," Hayate replied.

" Huh?" Suzumi mused.

" You see, it was a late rainy night, and I had just returned from my mission. When I entered my room, a group of people ambushed me from inside. Now, the first noticeable thing I noticed about them was their headbands, all of them the same like yours from the Leafs," Hayate answered. " My first thought was I was being attacked by Leaf spies or assassins. Two things bothered me though."

" One, these people were not under your ANBU supervision. Their kidnapping method was to crude, and ANBU personal from the Leaf do not do stupid things like breaking window panels to enter people's houses. Second, all of them were dress entirely in black, from head to toe, so the only visible thing I could see on them was the headband itself, and their eyes. If they wanted to conceal so much of themselves, why bother showing me their headbands? Moreover, they allowed me to live," Hayate replied. " And I somehow suppose this is done on purpose."

" To frame us?" Sora asked, sounding angry.

" No, not really…" Hayate replied, not before jumping to his feet and shouting loudly, looking very excited. " I see, I get it now! I all makes sense!" Hayate replied.

" Kid, you have been very vague during the course of your explanation up to now, and I have the odd feeling you seem to be making fun of us," Ryouta replied. " Please stop with the theatrics, and explain yourself."

" Oh, I hate it when he does this," Masaki replied.

" Does what?" Hiroshi asked.

" Hayate is considered a genius in our village, because he seems to know every damned thing. His favourite pastime is to piece together puzzles and solve them," Masaki answered. " I think he's got a very good idea at the moment."

" Ah, Masaki, you give me too much credit," Hayate replied. " To our saviors, I am afraid you have made a very grave error on your part. You should not have rescued us."

" WHAT?!" Sora screamed.

" …You should have realized that rescuing us was a trap, right? I mean, come on, one of you must have picked it up," Hayate answered jovially.

" Alright, we saved this punk-ass kid and this is how he shows his appreciation?! Come on, let me beat him up! I promise I'll make it painful!" Sora snarled at him, before moving quickly towards him, only to be quickly restrained by Hiroshi and Hibiki. " Stop, let go of me you idiots! I need to kill him."

" Hayate, what are you doing?! Why are you trying to irritate them?!" Mai exclaimed.

" What's you point?" Ryouta asked calmly.

" Allow me to confirm some things: You were passing along a certain route, when you somehow managed to stumble upon us, possibly following a blood trail that led you to us. What you found was us, my sister long dead, while the three of us still strangely alive. You then proceeded to help us, not before getting ambushed by a bunch of shinobi you presumably don't know. Deciding to escape, you picked the three of us while leaving my sister behind, and somehow managed to escape," Hayate replied. " Am I correct?"

" Yes, perfectly correct," Hiroshi replied, while still holding Sora back.

" Also, can I safely assume that all of you are on some sort of mission that requires some form of discretion?" Hayate replied.

" What are you suggesting?" Makoto asked.

" Alright, allow me to be blunt," Hayate replied. " You are transporting Suzumi to the Leaf village, and you are trying to do it in secret."

" You…" Ryouta mused. " You know a lot."

" What I am doing is merely using common sense along with what I know," Hayate answered. " Platoons are usually made up of 3 to 4 people a squad, so nothing strange, but I know for a fact that only Makoto, Hibiki and Suzumi are always in a team, and so are Hiroshi, Ryouta and Sora. The fact Mayuri is here means you are escorting either one of you six, and Suzumi looks like she is not armed, not even minimally. It's obvious you are escorting her. Not to mention this area is not the normal way to head to Konoha."

Hiroshi was quite amazed at Hayate's intellect, but Ryouta kept looking at him as if he was about to spring out and attack them. Hayate's analytical ability was at the level of Shikamaru, and it was Shikamaru's brains that made him dangerous. Ryouta had every right to be cautious about a foreign shinobi who seemed to know too much about them.

" Guess I am right," Hayate answered with a sigh. " You cannot go back to your Leaf village now. It's suicide."

" Huh? I don't know what you are talking about," Sora exclaimed.

" Do you know what day it is today?" Hayate asked, directing his question towards Ryouta.

" Yes. A Blood-nin official was supposed to meet with our Hokage today to discuss something important," Ryouta replied. " …I fully understand what you are implying now, Hayate."

" Glad at least someone catches on quickly," Hayate replied.

" What do you mean?" Hiroshi asked.

" Hayate is telling us that there has been an information leak, and this is why we were ambushed," Ryouta answered.

" Leak? What does a Blood-nin official visiting our village have to do with an information leak on our village? And how did it leak anyway? Did the Kazekage got himself captured or something?" Sora demanded.

" No, that isn't possible, which leaves us with one more possibility," Ryouta answered seriously. " …The leak came from our village."

" What? How is that even possible?!" Hiroshi exclaimed.

" Think about it, the only people who knew about this mission from the Sand are the Kazekage, Makoto, Hibiki, Mayuri and Suzumi. The ones from our side who know about this are only us, and whoever intercepted the letter Kazekage sent earlier. Considering that the Kazekage got the confirmation that our Hokage said yes, and for the fact that we assumed that whoever was after Suzumi was an insider in the Sand village, it is then highly possible that we have an informant in our own village," Ryouta replied. " No, it's not highly possible. It's the only option we have left."

" This means that we can't return to our own village," Sora exclaimed.

" We will still need to return regardless of whether the insider is there or not," Hiroshi replied. " We will just need to increase security, that's all."

" I am afraid that would be impossible," Hayate replied.

" And why is that, kid?" Sora replied in an irritated voice.

" …Must I spell it out?" Hayate asked cheekily.

" Enough sarcasm. If you want to tell us, tell us what we need to know," Ryouta snapped back, slightly irritated at the way Hayate carried himself.

" Have you ever considered why was a Blood-nin official sent to your village? Considering that both our villages are hostile against one another, and a false move between our countries could easily result in war, whatever he needs to discuss with your higher-ups has to be very important," Hayate replied. " Also, 4 young Blood-nins disappeared from their village, kidnapped by a bunch who were presenting themselves as Leaf-nins. Very suggestive, isn't it?"

Hiroshi finally understood what Hayate was trying to talk about. Someone was trying to frame them for abducting these Blood-nins from their village. Even worse, now that they had left Misa's body behind, and with those shinobis that had ambushed them, they could be easily set up for her murder.

" Okay, if whoever we seem to be facing has all the intention of setting us up, I do not understand why they let the three of you live," Mayuri replied. " It would be far more incriminating if they just killed all of you on the spot, no?"

" No, what they are doing is setting up insurance," Hayate replied. " Think of it this way: All of you are jounins, and no doubt one of the elites in your own villages. You could have enough potential and firepower to wage a small war, if you all intend to. Now, what better way to weaken these jounins than have 3 weak, low ranking Blood-nins fall into their custody, and forcing them to protect us?"

" Are you saying that they left you alive so that we are forced to protect you?" Hibiki exclaimed.

" Of course. When you were ambushed, you all managed to flee with the three of us in tow, which is a feat, cos we would have been definitely been slowing you all down slightly due to the excess baggage you needed to bring along. They lured you to where we are so that in the instance that we decided to escape, you would have been slowed down because your conscience would have told you to take us," Hayate replied. " And, if they are still after us, and I assume they still are, you will have to take more effort to protect us, because I can assure you, Masaki and Mai are just fresh genins and their combat potential in the face of the rest of you must be miniscule in comparison."

" …But they can't seriously deem us as criminals just like that!" Sora exclaimed.

" No, they can, and I suspect they will. Our village has a very hostile standing against a number of the larger hidden villages, possibly to exert our power and show that we are a threatening foe. My father is the leader of the Hidden Blood village," Hayate answered. " The fact that his daughter died so far away from her country in a country she should have no access to enter into is far more than enough reason for war."

" …You have got to be shitting me…" Hibiki replied.

" As typical Leaf-nin, your village will want to avoid a war, so obviously, they will come to a compromise with the Blood-nins. They will label you as missing-nins and place the blame on you, and the moment you step foot into your own village, you will be apprehended without warning, and handed over to the Blood-nins where they will execute you without wasting any time," Hayate replied. " Loosing 6 young jounins would be a blow to both your villages, and help show our villages standing."

" Hang on, all this shit can be avoided if you come back with us and explain everything to them, and to tell your people that this was a bloody misunderstanding!" Sora exclaimed. " Unless you are also involved with them…"

Hayate sighed deeply. " I, unfortunately, cannot help in that department," Hayate replied.

" Why not?!" Hiroshi demanded.

" Because the official they are sending to your village is my uncle," Hayate answered. " And I know this man well enough. He is here to either start war with your village, or to frame the crime of Misa's murder with all your heads as compensation. He will not take no for an answer, and he will very well kill the people I care for, as well as Masaki's and Mai's family if we take your side."

Hiroshi wasn't sure how to take it, the fact that they were stuck in a hopeless situation, or that the Blood-nins had ruthless ways of maintaining their order.

" Trust me, I would vouch for you, but…I have a fiancée back home. She will die if I disagree with my uncle," Hayate replied.

" Hang on, how old are you?" Makoto exclaimed.

" …I will be 14 this year," Hayate replied.

" And you have a fiancée?" he continued.

" Most certainly. We have arranged marriages, so that families and lords can maintain political power. I was set up marry this maiden who is a daughter of a lord from our country, so that my father could have more political standing in our village," Hayate replied. " Why are you all so surprise? I agree it's a bit young, but it's not like this custom is long banished from this world yet."

" …And of all people, you love her still, that's why you won't do this?" Mayuri asked.

" No, I detest that bitch," Hayate replied with venom in his voice, which surprised everyone there save his own companions. " …However, I did make a promise to someone close to me that I would protect her at all cost, even it meant forfeiting my life, and all others that stand in her way of survival, and I intend to keep this curse of a promise, even if it kills me."

-

" Damn, so it has come down to this," Sora replied quietly with Hibiki and Mayuri gathered around her. " I would never though of such deception running this deep between our villages, but I guess I can only credit it to our fault for being this careless. Now, we are branded as missing-nins, with important cargo in our midst. Things can't get worse than this."

" You know, this only applies if whatever Hayate said is true. Are we really taking his word for it?" Hibiki replied.

" Well, he was much of a snarker, but I felt the truth in his words, or at least the sincerity," Mayuri replied. " Doesn't account for much, but I doubt Hayate is one to lie to us about it."

" …Hmm, what's Ryouta doing about it?" Hibiki asked.

" Dunno. I mean, we can't exactly continue to our village if this is true, and we can't exactly go back either, so we are stuck in the middle of nowhere," Sora answered. " Actually, if we are really going to be branded as criminals, we would need to flee the country, least they hunt us down."

" Doing that would solidify our status as missing-nins, wanted criminals, and the world at large will be after our asses," Mayuri answered.

" She does have a point though, Mayuri. Other countries will be wary of us, but if we are wanted criminals, we will be more actively hunted here compared to other countries. But I do not know what would the full consequence of leaving the country in such a fashion. Wouldn't that make matters worse, cos we would look like we are running away?" Hibiki replied.

The three of them groaned at the same time, before just standing around and observing their surroundings. Hiroshi and Suzumi were conversing with Mai and Masaki, and they seemed to be chatting amicably amongst one another, social standing and country of origin be damned, and they looked like they were having fun within their own personal conversation. It was understandable for Suzumi, because she had just lost part of her memory, so perhaps the implications of what was discussed earlier had not fully set in yet. But, the rest of them wondered why Hiroshi seemed to be trying to enjoy himself with Masaki's company.

" …Why is Hiroshi being so friendly with them?" Hibiki pointed out the obvious fact.

" He's being a scheming bastard right now," Sora replied, grinning slightly.

" …I don't get it…" Mayuri replied, scratching her head.

" One of Hiroshi's positive traits is that he can easily get along and work well with anyone, because he puts in the effort to learn about his partners and companions," Sora replied. " This attitude can also be used to try to drop people's guards, something people do often with Hiroshi."

"…Really?" Mayuri asked.

" …I'm just joking. He's probably trying to make Masaki feel comfortable," Sora replied.

All of a sudden, Hayate stood up from the corner he was sitting, slowing munching on whatever bread was left for breakfast, and walked up to Makoto and Ryouta, who were having a discussion with each other. Both of them turned curiously at Hayate as he walked towards them, a grin etched on his face.

" I have a proposition. Would you like to hear it?" he asked calmly, all the while smiling.


	12. Chapter 11: To Hunt the Hunter

**Chapter 11: To Hunt the Hunter**

" You want us to assassinate your Uncle?" Sora repeated.

" Yes, it is that simple," Hayate answered. " See, the main problem lies in the fact that my uncle, Daiichi, is causing both of us problems. The Blood-nin village is made up of some factions, some more radical than others, just like any other village, I am sure. Both he and my father never see eye to eye, so he is always trying to get a political foothold here, and he's using underhand tactics to get what he wants."

" And how is this going to even work?" Hiroshi asked.

" My Uncle, and whoever he is cooperating with, have set you up, and us, in this mess. He has framed you, and is using me as a cover. You will be branded as criminals unless we can convince our authorities otherwise, which we cannot, since he is holding us, or the people we care about, hostage," Hayate replied. " Assassinating him would remove him from the picture, and I can testify for your innocence, since nothing will be holding us back."

" …You do know that this plan hinges on the fact that whatever you tell us is true," Ryouta replied. " We don't know you well enough. Is there enough reason for us to trust you?"

" I must admit, everything only falls into place if what I say is true," Hayate answered. " …All I can ask is for you to trust me. If you wish for me to show some form of loyalty, I will do it."

" Wait, Hayate, did you actually think this through? Are we actually getting foreign shinobis to assassinate your uncle? You would actually see this through?!" Mai exclaimed.

" What's wrong with that?" Masaki asked.

" Shut it, idiot! You don't understand the entire situation!" Mai snapped back, before kicking him repeatedly.

" I will wholeheartedly admit that it has been my underlying motive to see my uncle ousted from our power struggle…after all, what is one less competitor for leadership for the village," Hayate replied. " My motives are almost never noble, but I can assure you this is the best way to solve this problem."

All of them looked curiously at him, before turning towards Ryouta, who ultimately had to make this decision.

" …Assuming what you say is true, then I am in for it," Ryouta answered seriously. " Now, I want your opinions on the subject."

" Yeah, let's kick his ass!" Sora exclaimed.

" I second that. Let's fuck him up good!" Hibiki exclaimed.

" This sounds like a 'cool~' mission! I want in!" Mayuri answered.

" …Can't really back out now since Mayuri said yes, right?" Makoto replied, scratching his head.

" Oi, you dumb idiots! When I asked that question, I was asking you to decide it rationally, not decide like a bunch of kids on a school trip!" Ryouta snarled back at them angrily, one of his rare angry moments.

" Geez, haven't seen you angry is a while…kinda cute now that I see it again," Sora replied. " We haven't decided this on a whim, Ryouta. I'm in for the long shot. We'll teach that bastard to mess with us…"

" …You still don't sound serious even when you claim you are…" Hiroshi mused.

" And what about you two?" Ryouta asked.

" I think even if we said no, as a majority, I think we would still need to go," Hiroshi replied.

" …I do not want to hear an opinion of a majority. I will only proceed with this mission only if everyone agrees to this," Ryouta replied. " What's your thoughts on this? And I'd like to hear what you think about it as well, Suzumi?"

" Huh? Me? ...Erm…" she stammered. " Do I have to?"

" Yes. I feel wrong if I have to drag you into this. I am not compelling you to agree with us. I want to hear what you really wish to say, even if I am putting the pressure on you," Ryouta replied.

Suzumi merely gave him a troubled reaction. Hiroshi wondered if Ryouta was being harsh on her, since by default, due to the circumstances, she shouldn't be on active duty, but if they were to pull some crazy stunt like this, they will need all the man-power they can afford, amnesia be damned.

" I have no qualms," Suzumi answered after a while.

" …Neither do I," Hiroshi spoke up afterwards.

" Very well, it is settled them. We shall all partake in this task of yours, for better or worse. I trust that you will be honest with us, because ours lives will have to depend on whatever you say now," Ryouta replied.

Hayate merely bowed his head, smiling mischievously at him. " Most certainly. I was not lying when I said that all of you are capable of starting a small war," Hayate replied. " Well, I was hoping that we could first sort out our weapon and equipment supplies. As you can see, my comrades and I are not armed, save for our attire. Despite their lack of combat prowess, I assure you that being sufficiently armed will help a lot of we get attacked."

" Sounds like a good idea. Maybe we can suit Suzumi up as well. If we are going to have her fight, we better get her armed," Hibiki replied.

" Ah, but…"

Suzumi stopped when Hiroshi passed her a large equipment pack, which looked like it was packed to the brim with stuff. " This isn't your usual equipment, but I have gotten all the essential poisons, medical stuff and equipment along with your senbons packed and ready. This will have to suffice for now," Hiroshi replied.

Suzumi took a look into her pack, and looked surprised. " How…how'd you know…what I usually use?" Suzumi asked.

" Hiroshi is our weapon supplier. He has got enough stock on him to start a war," Sora replied proudly. Hiroshi raised his eyebrows, as it sounded very strangely like a form of praise.

" Really? You actually carry all that stuff?" Mai asked eagerly.

" I do. State what you need. I doubt I cannot fulfill your needs," Hiroshi replied.

Masaki and Mai asked for the usual, with some extras, and Hiroshi had no trouble procuring the needed equipment and weapons, which surprised and amused Masaki and Mai to no end.

" And how about you?" Hiroshi asked Hayate.

" Just one katana, thanks," Hayate replied.

Hiroshi reached for one of his scrolls, before unsealing one of the compartments to procure a very fancy looking katana. It looked brand new, as if it was newly made, with a fresh pristine grip and fancy sheath, where Hiroshi had carved a dragon onto. Hayate pried the weapon apart, exposing the blade, and he could notice the sharpness of the metal, and his face was reflected back on the surface of the blade.

" I see…this is indeed a good blade. I have never seen a blade forged this well before, a worthy weapon to be held by the Mist-nins who call themselves the Seven Swordsmen. I feel it is a little wasted on me, but thank you," Hayate replied laconically, sheathing the blade. Hiroshi looked at him in a slightly irritated manner, as if this brat was trying to annoy people even while thanking them.

" Are you proficient with it?" Makoto asked.

" Proficient enough, I suppose," Hayate replied.

" Really? How about a test?" Hibiki asked, flinging a small branch towards Hayate.

Nobody managed to see him draw his sword, but the branch split into two pieces before falling down by his side.

" Ho, that was a pretty good slash," Hibiki replied, grinning at him. " I think you can handle yourself with no problems."

" You praise me too much. My skills in the art of using the sword is only limited to three skills, and that was one of it," Hayate admitted.

Makoto, Ryouta and Hiroshi eyed Hayate cautiously. Hayate had claimed that he was only of a chuunin class earlier, while Mai and Masaki were fresh genins. The latter two were no doubt green rookies in their respective field, but the move Hayate pulled just now was nothing short of a S-rank jutsu, something even most jounins they know would have difficulty to pull of, even in the Hidden Mist village, where a large number of their shinobi are renowned for their proficiency with the sword. To even cut a branch without them even seeing him draw the blade showed not only was he skilled with the blade, but he possessed some form of God-like speed.

" So, what's the plan for now?" Mayuri asked.

" A good question. I would suggest we leave this place. We are less likely going to be hunted if we stay around another country, but this means of course, we will be making our escape suspicious," Hayate replied. " Considering you all have agreed to help me with this task, I don't think it matters."

" But to determine where we are supposed to run to is the problem, correct?" Suzumi asked.

" Presicely. Now, I do not have any ideas on the general terrain in this country, and since this is your turf, I would think leaving it to you would be the best course of option," Hayate answered.

Hiroshi quickly produced a map, and all of them crowded around the map to take a good look at it. " Well, assuming that we are heading towards the Hidden Village of Blood, I think our best bet is to head in the direction of the Land of Lightning, since they are practically neighbours. However, to do so means we either need to pass through several shinobi countries, which will be difficult to do," Hiroshi replied after studying the map.

" I can see three options in how to cross this place," Makoto replied, with Masaki and Mai giving shocked looks at how he was able to distinguish the map despite having his eyes covered. " First one would be head directly towards the Blood-nin village. Doing this, however, will need us to pass through several of the smaller countries, which means we will have to pass through multiple borders, which also equates to passing through multiple areas of tight security."

" But it is still possible. A number of them are neutral areas, which means we can pass through rather easily there," Hibiki replied.

" Yeah, but the thing is, we need to pass through multiple countries. 4 countries where shinobis guard the border like rabid watch dogs. This will prove to be difficult more so if we are considered missing-nins now," Ryouta replied.

" Second would be to cross through 1 country, that is the Land of Water," Makoto replied.

" Are you nuts? This means passing through islands, and the security in the Water nation is not to be trifled with, considering all the civil wars they had before, and their hunter-nins will be after our asses the moment they get a whiff of us," Sora exclaimed.

" The only advantage is that once we pass it, we will be relatively safe until after we get to our destination," Hiroshi replied.

" Last option is to head north, enter one of the neutral countries near the northern sea, and take a boat and island hop till we reach the land of Lightning," Makoto replied.

" That's crazy! That would take…what, a month!?" Mayuri exclaimed.

" But…wouldn't this be the safest route?" Suzumi suggested.

" So, the thing we need to factor here is risk over time. We are being chased, so we need to finish this as quickly as possible, but we need to head to our destination without posing too much risk or attention to ourselves," Ryouta mused. " Of, the God damned choices we need to make."

" May I make a suggestion? We can still take one other route," Hayate replied.

" Hmm, where?" Hibiki asked.

Hayate merely placed his finger on where they are on the map, before tracing an invisible line on the piece of parchment, before ending at his village. All of them saw what he had indicated, and all of them looked at him with a shocked expression.

" Are you mad?! We can't do that!" Sora exclaimed.

" Looking at it logically, I think this is the best solution," Hayate answered.

" Don't suggest dumb shit like this. If the shinobis in the land of Metal does so much as see us, this means war with out villages. We cannot even consider this possibility!"

Hiroshi took a good look at the point where Hayate traced his line on the map. His line ran through a large part of neutral ground, where they would not encounter any problems in passing. However, to reach the Land of Lighting, they would have to pass through the Land of Metal, another small hidden village. Their problem was the Land of Metal has hostile relations with the Leaf and Sand village, as both their villages had destroyed their countries on two separate occasions each, and it was the rule that if a Leaf or Sand shinobi was even seen in that country, they would be hunted down, and they would start a war with either country.

" Hmm, doesn't seem overly concerning. I mean, you all are missing-nins anyway, right?" Hayate replied.

" You don't get it. If we are seen there, and if word gets out, to avoid war with the Land of Metal, our villages will come and find us to wage war with to show them that they are serious in dealing with us. They will dispatch their best hunter-nins and ANBU squads to find us. I mean, we will be hunted by a combined force of the Grand Assassination Squad, a combined force of 50 jounins from our villages. We would be annihilated, and I am not up to killing my comrades to avoid it," Sora replied. " Even missing-nins from our village will shy away from this country, cos if they do so much as sniff you out, you'll have 50 jounins hounding your ass until they have your head and present it to them as a present."

" I still do not see this as a problem," Hayate replied. " Look, 80% of the distance we need to travel here is neutral ground. If, and I highly suspect that it will happen, the force chasing us catches up and we do have to fight, we are fighting on an area where no nearby shinobi forces will be able to spy on us, which means we can fight them without attracting attention to ourselves."

The rest of them looked at him dubiously, even his companions looked as though Hayate was suggesting something ridiculous.

" The other 20% would be to pass through this country. It's only a 1 day journey, 12 hours if we rush through. I would think this is the best course of action," Hayate replied.

" What if we are seen in that country?" Sora demanded.

" Simple. All you need to do is silence those who have seen you," Hayate replied coldly.

" Are you asking us to kill innocent shinobis upon sight?!" Hibiki exclaimed loudly.

" …Well, they are hostile against your country. Wouldn't this mean they are more like…enemy shinobis?" Hayate replied, chuckling.

" This is no laughing matter! The only reason why they are hostile now is because we crushed their country several times over the course of history," Sora shouted. " This is our fault, not because they are trigger happy people like your village!"

" Sora!" Hiroshi exclaimed, not wanting this exchange to escalate into something violent.

" Hayate, stop it. You cannot ask them to do the impossible!" Mai warned him sternly.

" No, his argument makes sense," Ryouta replied after a while.

" What?! You cannot seriously agree to this!" Sora exclaimed.

" Look at it this way. If these rogue shinobis catch up to us, and we end up fighting in one of the shinobi countries, this will give out too much attention. If we can settle this on neutral ground, where we will not be disturbed, I will gladly accept it," Ryouta replied. " Also, due to the fact that the Hidden Village of Metal has a lack of man power, most of their patrols are limited to 4 shinobis at most with only one jounin, sometimes none. If we are to unfortunately meet them, we will need to annihilate them and leave before another patrol comes and picks up the scent. If we are out of the country, we can pull it off as a random incident where a missing-nin attacked them."

"…Ryouta, are you serious? You are suggesting that if we meet them, instead of turning ourselves in, we should kill innocent shinobis?" Makoto asked.

" Makoto, we don't have any option left. If we still trust what Hayate says is true, then we do not have much of a choice besides this course of action," Ryouta replied. " This is why I said I want you to choose whether you want to accept this or not. We either turn ourselves in now and die as martyrs, or we annihilate all that stands in our way, innocent or not, to clear our name. You need to decide that for yourself. Either way I can only safely say we are truly screwed in whichever situation we decide to choose anyway, so it does not make much of a difference."

The rest of the group merely look at one another as the information sank in. Once again, all of this rested upon the fact that they were willing to trust Hayate wholeheartedly, which did not help when Hayate looked like he was having fun at the expense of their trouble at the moment. If so, this mean they could either give themselves up, or see this through entirely, no matter what the end result it.

Mayuri was the first to speak up, and from the tone of her voice, there was no hesitation, no pause, but deadpan seriousness. " I am still in. Call this selfish self preservation. If we have been set up, I'd rather some other innocent person take the fall, not me. I will feel sorry for them, but I'd rather clear my name and them bring vengeance on the people who made this happen," Mayuri replied.

" Hell yes!" Hibiki exclaimed.

" Booyah!" Sora shouted, pumping her hands in the air.

" I agree, let's do this," Suzumi replied. " It's not as if I have anything more to lose at this point."

" We are in," Makoto and Hiroshi answered.

" Fine, Hayate, the verdict is in. You win," Ryouta spoke.

Hayate merely grinned at them, with a twinkle in his eye. " Perfect…" he replied, almost in a purring voice.


	13. Chapter 12: Void Hunters

**Chapter 12: Void Hunters**

" Well, here we are. Damn, to think the day would come that I would need to escape from my own country…kinda exciting, I must admit," Sora replied.

All of them had spent the day moving through the Land of Fire towards their destination, the borders that separated them from their country and the next, the path where they were supposed to pass through. It was a small farming village, where some Leaf shinobi were littered around the place to keep any eye on the border. If they could successfully pass this hurdle, they would be relatively safe until they reach the Land of Metal.

" You think this will work?" Suzumi asked.

" Well, the cart looks splendid, why not?" Hibiki replied, chuckling slightly.

" I mean this kind of pose?" Suzumi repeated herself.

" Well, that would need to depend on Hiroshi," Hibiki replied.

Using some materials, Hiroshi managed to build a caravan. They were to disguise themselves as travelling merchants to gain entry pass their borders without any suspicions. Hiroshi went so far as to give them face masks to hide their original faces, so that they looked like a different person, save for their eye colour, which he couldn't change unless her spent half a day making contacts, which he couldn't in the first place. He got them all to wear long, heavy travelling cloaks to hide most of their bodies, so that mostly the face is only visible. They even managed to get a couple of horses to pull their caravan.

However, the plan hinged on the fact that they could get pass security without them checking it too much. For one, the caravan looked new. No matter how Hiroshi tried, he couldn't make it look as if it had been used in a while, and if anything, the caravan looked like it was only setting out for its first journey ever. Second, they had managed to get some wild horses, since getting horses from a nearby farm or village will leave a trace that they were there, but to tame wild horses, Suzumi had to perform a simple genjutsu on them to make them obey them for such a short period of time without prior training. If the shinobis patrolling the village found that they had cast genjutsu on their horses, the game was up. The only way was to pray that they would not check on them.

One last problem was the item they were posing as their selling merchandise. Hiroshi managed to procure a whole load of metal alloys from his puppets, dismantling most of them and piling up the spare parts into one large pile, looking as if he was off to trade his stock of metal. Nothing wrong with it, but in it was a good mix of metals and alloys only shinobis use, and their country regulates weapons very strictly. The moment they find out the alloy looked like it could serve as a shinobi weapon, like a metal that absorbs chakra, it would be over for them as well.

" How about wood?" Sora gave a suggestion prior to the events.

" Sora, nobody buys wood from us," Hiroshi told her.

" We could forage for stuff to sell, like fruits," she suggested again.

" That would take a lot of time. By the time we finish, it would probably take half a day just to get enough fruits to make sure that we don't look suspicious enough," Ryouta replied.

" Metal parts?" Mayuri suggested.

" Huh?"

" Hiroshi has a lot of puppets and weapons, right? What if we used metal parts? Your traders sell metal parts, right? We just need to make sure they aren't like shinobi tools," Mayuri replied.

Hiroshi spent an hour going through his stash to get the required items.

After a three hours, they reached their first obstacle: the border village.

" Here goes nothing…" Hiroshi mused, taking a deep breath, as he led the caravan on foot.

Hiroshi's heart was racing as he led the caravan through the village. A few Leaf shinobis gave them several glances, but didn't stop him to check on anything. After a while, he managed to pass through the village without incident, and after an hour of travelling, when the village was out of their sight and when they were past their borders, did he drop his act and took off his travelling cloak.

" God damn, just God damn! I was so fucking nervous!" Hiroshi spat as the rest of them climbed out of the caravan laughing. " Chirst, for a moment there I thought we were going to be caught."

" Blame it on your awesome crafting skills," Sora replied, while Hibiki laughed out loudly.

" Well, I am glad we managed to pass through our borders without suspicion," Ryouta said, smiling slightly. " Fix back your puppet parts. Once we are done, we will free the horses and destroy the caravan."

It didn't take long for Hiroshi to assemble back his equipment, and after a while, they released the horses, which ran off immediately once broken free from the genjutsu Suzumi put them under, and Makoto rendered the cavaran to bits by shredding it with his wind jutsu. The next minute, they were gone, will all traces of them being there carried away by the wind.

-

Hiroshi sighed loudly, his body tired from all the travelling they had to do. A full day had passed now, and it was late at night. Ryouta decided that they would have to call it a day after seeing that Masaki and Mai were visibly tired from all the travelling, since they had been on the move since the morning till late at night. They had managed to set up camp in the middle of a forest with tall trees, Hiroshi having cooked them a good meal of roasted fish obtained from the nearby river, the thick, succulent meat filling their tummies. He did have trouble finding food, since now they have a grand total of 10 people in their entire group now, and Sora and Mayuri could easily swallow food enough for 3 people, while Masaki and Mai seemed to have a voracious appetite as well, so it was taxing on Hiroshi who now had to find resources to feed a good total of servings for 18 people. He had been lazing about ever since cooking, too lazy to do anything after all that trouble he had to go through to find all that fish and cook them. Ryouta excluded him from needing to keep watch during the night, in which he was grateful for.

" Fuh! That was brilliant!" Mayuri replied, finishing her share finally. Hiroshi merely groaned as he lay on the grassy floor.

" Well, now that we have eaten, I think we should discuss something important," Makoto replied.

" What is it? What are we going to eat tomorrow?" Sora asked.

" Formation, dummy," Ryouta replied. " I know that most of you are capable of dealing with problems on your own, but this time, we have a number of escorts to bring along. I would suggest a buddy system, and nobody is supposed to stray from your partner unless I say so, or if there is a good reason to. Understood?"

All of them nodded in agreement.

" Sora will partner with Mai, Mayuri will take Masaki, Makoto will take Suzumi, Hibiki will take Hiroshi, and I will take Hayate. Any objections?" Ryouta replied. All of them shook their heads to notify that they agreed with him, until Hiroshi sat up in an upright position, his face looking slightly annoyed.

" Hold it! Me, needing an escort?!" Hiroshi exclaimed.

" Hiroshi, ever since you got that bounty on your head, you have had escorts ever since. Why are you complaining about it now?" Ryouta replied, smiling slightly.

" Ehh…I-Is Hiroshi that good?" Suzumi stammered.

" Yeah, he is. He's so good, you're dead even before you realize what had happened to you," Hibiki replied, snickering slightly. The rest of them started to laugh as well, and Hiroshi was slightly annoyed that they were making fun of him. " Alright, chill man, I was just joking. Hiroshi has crucial information which makes him important. More importantly, he can manufacture weapons, and powerful ones at that."

" Ooh…" Suzumi replied.

The rest of them continued to chat for a while, but Hiroshi felt beat. The only thing he wanted to do now was to fall asleep. In fact, he felt awfully drowsy, and his vision started to go hazy. After a while, he couldn't help himself, but he fell backwards and closed his eyes.

Only to open them a moment later, his tiredness and sleepiness gone, magically whisked away by merely closing his eyes for a second. The midnight sky greeted his eyes, and he noticed that he was still in the forest. Getting up, he noticed everyone save for one person was gone, the fire that was still mysteriously burning very brightly, illuminating the evil looking grin on her face.

" Oh, it looks like you are expecting me," Aya cooed, seeing Hiroshi's annoyed expression on his face again.

He was experiencing it again, the same genjutsu dream he was having, like the time at the abandoned house. Aya was sitting across him, having trapped him in this dream state genjustu, a mind world of her own. Nobody else was there, only Aya and him.

" What do you want?" he asked moodily.

" Nothing, I am here to chat," Aya said gleefully.

" You stabbed me the last time you wanted to chat. It felt awful, I will tell you that," Hiroshi replied.

" Oh, that was merely a warning, to tell you that I have my needs. However, seems like we are on a journey to murder someone, so I am not really complaining now," Aya answered. " Will there be kids? I want to kill some kids. I like their screams. It is ever so pleasant to my ears."

The person in front of him was now speaking like a mad person. Hiroshi was still in a confused state of mind, but he had to convince himself what was happening. He was being put through some form of mind control in his sleep, altering his dreams, this much was true. However, he could not fathom how Suzumi could even harbor a second personality this violent and bloodthirsty. Was this somehow induced during the assault on her house?

" Hmm, you seem quite silent today. Something wrong, honey?" Aya asked. The tone of her voice made Hiroshi's skin crawl slightly.

" …I am still having difficulty grasping the situation, that is all," Hiroshi replied.

" Well, this makes two of us. I mean, I don't even have any prior memories of my own self before this. I mean, I have memories, but it feels as if they were not mine," Aya replied. " My brain is probably playing tricks on me. I cannot seem to determine what is real, and what is not. I think you feel real, but am I really that sure?"

Hiroshi had no idea why Aya was being so philosophical tonight.

" I am boring you, am I?" Aya replied.

" …No, I am merely slightly impressed at the different side of you," Hiroshi replied.

Aya looked quizzically at him, before bursting out in a mad fit of laughter, her voice cracking into the night sky, echoing all around them. Hiroshi didn't bother stopping her, since he wasn't in the mood, and also she would probably do something random like stab him again for stopping her. He felt it strange, that he was talking to some form of a ghost in a dream, a really real dream.

He considered the possibilities: why? What in the world did the people who assaulted and killed Suzumi's parents have to gain from this? Giving her another personality, with shared memories. First of all, Hiroshi didn't even know that it was possible. For one, manipulating memories was hard enough. Manipulating the memory required a sense of chakra control that was beyond the ordinary, since the brain was such a fragile thing. One simple overload of chakra and one could possibly fry and damage the brain with permanent effects.

Still, to even split the brain into two, separating memories and having them shared between two contrasting personalities. Hiroshi didn't even know such a jutsu even existed, and if it does, what does it serve? To create some chaotic being inside of Suzumi's brain to dwell and confuse him further? Not only was using a jutsu, assuming that this was caused by some form of jutsu, to create a dual personality unheard of, he could not imagine how this jutsu could be in anyway beneficial.

Hiroshi wondered if perhaps, this was a way people after his head planned to kill him, by stressing him out in such a fashion.

" You really are quiet tonight," Aya replied as Hiroshi merely looked at her in a stoic fashion.

" It's not like I talk much anyway," Hiroshi answered.

" Come on, ask me a question," she pleaded, for once, sounding sympathetic and sorry.

" …Okay, here's a question: why speak to me? Why not talk to the rest of our friends as well?" Hiroshi asked.

" Well, it's not like I don't want to, it's because I cannot," she answered.

" Cannot? Why?"

She didn't answer. She suddenly got to her feel and listened intently to the sounds from the forest. Hiroshi could not sense anything, and if he was in a dream, he had no idea why she acted like this, unless it was to throw him off. He did however, notice that the forest had gone unnaturally quiet. He blamed this on being a controlled dream, but now that he thought of it, when he initially entered this dream, the forest was alive with illusion of the sounds of insects chirping and the wind blowing the leaves as they rustled in their branches. Now, it was just eerily quiet, and from the looks, this wasn't Aya's doing.

" What's…wrong?" Hiroshi asked tentatively.

" Tch, looks like trouble," Aya replied, snapping her fingers. " Time to wake up!"

Hiroshi suddenly felt himself being magically pushed backwards, hitting the ground, before feeling like he was sinking into the ground. As soon as the sensations stopped, he opened his eyes, and he was back to reality. It was midnight, the fire they had set up just now was now reduced to a smoking ember, with fish bones piled at one side. Suzumi was sleeping next to him, curled up peacefully by the corner in her sleeping bag.

The only problem was that save for Suzumi, Masaki, Mai, Hayate and himself, the rest of them were nowhere to be found.

" Guys…where are you? Guys?!" he exclaimed, slightly alarmed at their disappearance, while Suzumi shifted and woke up, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

-

" So, what do you think?" Sora asked.

" I think we are trapped in a genjutsu, that's what," Ryouta replied.

" No shit, smart-ass. How are we getting out of this?" Sora asked.

Ryouta had no idea what had happened. He remembered sleeping, before strangely waking up in a half hypnotic state, along with Sora, before walking off towards the west together. Both of them kept moving for a distance, before snapping out of their hypnotic state. However, as they tried to head back, they seemed trap in a never ending forest. He knew his senses were not lying to him, yet they clearly were right now. He naturally panicked. He was caught in a powerful genjutsu, most likely done by their pursuers. Ryouta was pretty resistant to genjutsus, with the only genjutsus being able to fool him were ones used at the level of Suzumi's. Now, he was stuck in a never ending loop, unable to get out.

Sora had almost no defense against genjutsu, and now she was angrily punching trees, blowing their trunks open with her techniques, sending them crashing to the ground. If they were going to have any chance in breaking out of this powerful genjutsu, he would have to do it.

He quickly analysed the situation. Obviously their enemies had caught them unprepared, but apparently this genjutsu was meant to separate them from their companions. From what Ryouta could figure out from what he was experiencing, whoever this person is, he or she was casting the genjutsu to keep Ryouta and Sora away from the rest of them. Thus, a delaying tactic.

Secondly, it felt as if he was trapped in a very warped world, where everything looked familiar, but felt odd, odd enough to tell him something was wrong. He tried cutting his palm, hoping the sense of pain might bring him back to his senses, but he felt no pain, despite his hand bleeding from the cut. He tried executing a fire jutsu, which he managed to pull off successfully. However, he could not feel the sensation of his chakra flowing through him. True, he could still use his jutsu and utilize his chakra, but the feeling was not there.

This level of genjutsu was beyond him. Not only was he being tricked visually, he was being tricked in terms of his other senses. Sharp pain or bursts of chakra could normally break him out of a genjutsu in an instant. The opponent had even numbed his sense of pain and chakra sensation. This level of genjutsu was beyond anything he had ever experienced. They were no doubt up against an expert.

Now, the trick here was to regain one of his senses, any single one. Pain, hearing, sight, anything. As long as he could regain one of them back, he could easily break out of this genjutsu. The enemy was smart enough to hide all his senses from him, so this was a difficult task.

It then occurred to him that he didn't really need to do this himself at all.

" Sora!" Ryouta exclaimed.

" What?!" she exclaimed, stopping herself from punching another tree.

" I know how to break out of this genjutsu. I need your help!" Ryouta replied.

" Got it!" she shouted, excited that Ryouta managed to find a way to fix their predicament.

" Release your First Gate, now!"

Sora had no idea why he needed her to do it, but she complied anyway. Releasing the chakra locks in her body, her entire body started to surged with a swell of energy that was familiar to her. She was filled with incredible power, and all of a sudden, it occurred. Something invisible swept over her, and she could feel herself come back to reality. She noticed now that Ryouta looked stunned standing next to her, his eyes unfocused and his pupils dilated. A sharp punch on his shoulder brought him back to his senses.

As soon as Sora punched him, Ryouta suddenly felt his hand sting, the one he had cut before, and he knew he was back to reality. " Good job, Sora. That was one hell of a genjutsu," he replied.

" Oh, and you used one hell of a conventional method to break free," a voice replied. Ryouta and Sora braced themselves as four figures suddenly descended next to them, landing gracefully on the ground behind them, all of them smiling sinisterly at them.

" …Are you the ones after Suzumi?" Ryouta asked, his expression rather livid.

" Oh, maybe we are, maybe we aren't…" one of them replied, a girl.

" I don't care. I am going to tear open your assholes, punks. Get ready to eat sonic booms, dipshits!" Sora exclaimed loudly.

" Oh, the Sonic Fang is as lively as the rumours," another replied.

" Don't under estimate her. She make look like a hot-headed fool, but no careless hot-headed fool can make it this far with guts alone. These two will be trouble to our organization. We need to eliminate them here, and now," the first replied.

" …Who are you all?" Ryouta asked.

" We, are the collection that is known as the Void Hunters, and we are here to collect our prey," the girl answered back haughtily.

Ryouta merely formed his signature 12 seals, his hands moving so fast Sora only caught him waving his hands in front of him for a split second, before activating his signature technique, as his hands started to combust, leaving him unharmed. The forest was illuminated in a crimson glow of his fire, which now burned brightly on both his hands, the heat sealing close his previous wound, the smell of burnt blood flavouring the air around them.

" Then, Void Hunters, in the name of the Phoenix of Konoha, I shall eliminate all of you here and now!" he bellowed in a grand voice, just before Sora and him burst forward to attack.


	14. Chapter 13:Counterattack of the Alliance

**Chapter 13: Counter-attack of the Alliance**

Makoto and Mayuri skidded backwards as a slew of kunais came flying towards them, missing them by inches. They looked up at where their attackers stood, grinning down mischievously at them.

" Wow, to miss that, I must have underestimated you…" one of the assailants, a female, spoke to him.

Makoto panted slightly. All the events that happened recently were in a blur. He remembered getting up all of a sudden, then moving off north along with Mayuri in a quiet, zombie-like state. It then dawned on him that he was being placed under a very powerful genjutsu. The thing that irked him the most was that he took a ridiculously long time to break out of it. He prided himself in being fairly proficient in breaking out of genjutsus, with Suzumi giving him enough practice, but to think he would be placed under a genjutsu that would drag him away from his companions and do nothing for a full 5 minutes while he was perfectly aware that he was under a genjutsu spell.

" Makoto…" Mayuri whispered quietly.

" I know…damn it, how could I've been so careless…to think that they could fool me this long with such a genjutsu," Makoto remarked, gritting his teeth in frustration.

" There is no need to get upset. Against a genjutsu of my level, I must congratulate you that you even managed to break out of it even," the female assailant replied, clapping her hands mockingly at them, while her three companions merely looked down at them. " Looks like our plan is going smoothly. Everything is falling into place."

" Who are these people?" Mayuri asked.

" I don't give two cents who they are," Makoto exclaimed, pulling out two trench knives that he kept on his back, before charging them with his wind element. " The only thing that is important is that they are the enemy, and we will annihilate all of them!"

-

" Wait, what do you mean they are gone? Have they been abducted, killed? Or something worse? How can they just suddenly disappear into thin air?! This is not possible!" Mai exclaimed, sounding terrified when Hiroshi woke all of them up and told them of the situation.

" Pipe down woman, you are hurting my ears," Masaki replied.

" I don't exactly know, but this does not bode well," Hiroshi replied. Suzumi and Mai looked rather scared at their current predicament, but Masaki and Hayate were quite cool about it. Hiroshi was nervous as well. It was certainly not natural that five of their members could just suddenly disappear without a trace. Was this an enemy attack? If so, they had just taken out their best fighters already.

" I…can hear noises of combat…" Hayate replied.

Hiroshi seemed to be able to hear it to, as the sound of clashing metal and the loud bangs of jutsus ringing some distance away. It was most likely their companions fighting, but from the sound of it, it sounded like they were some distance away. Hiroshi could not imagine how in the world did they end up that far away.

" Tch!" Hayate muttered.

Something flew in their direction. Three kunais to be specific. Hayate moved in front, raising his katana, the one Hiroshi gave him earlier. Whipping it out with his God-like speed, he knocked all kunais to the ground in an instant.

" Damn it, enemies!?" Hiroshi exclaimed.

Four figures appeared in front of them, not even bothering to conceal their presence. Hiroshi figured they must be feeling very confident that they can come up like this, arrogant to think that they can taunt the enemy and still win, but they probably have their reasons. He had two genins who had no combat potential, and a chuunin who claims he only has limited combat experience with the sword, and an amnesiac jounin. Things did not look well at the moment.

" I am sure discussions aren't necessary. You know what we want," one of them spoke to him.

" Don't be so over-confident! 4 on 1! I think the odds are good!" Hiroshi snapped back, pulling out his scroll, preparing to do battle.

" Correction, 4 on 2!" Suzumi replied, taking out her senbon needles.

" Suzumi! You can't…"

" Hiroshi, thanks for your concern, but even if I am suffering from amnesia, I still can fight. I think I can instinctively follow the battle. Possibly not as good as when I had my memory intact, but I think I am a more than sufficient combatant," Suzumi replied seriously. " Do not worry on my account. I am perfectly capable of handling myself."

Hiroshi was a little lost for words. " …Alright, I'll be counting on you to back me up then," he replied.

" No problem," Suzumi replied confidently, so confidently Hiroshi had to break into a smile.

" Shall I join the fray?" Hayate asked.

" No, stay here and guard your companions. If they break through us, I'll need you to delay them long enough so that we can come to your aid," Hiroshi replied, forming a few hand seals, before slamming both his palms on the ground. " Earth Release: Earth Barrier Wall!"

A ten foot solid rock wall suddenly formed up behind them, 10 feet wide and half a kilometer long. Most jounins were required to pick up a second element manipulation to add to their arsenal, and Hiroshi decided to pick up the Earth element after his Sensei, Shikamaru.

" …Wait, are you cutting off our escape route?" Mai exclaimed.

" No, he's just cutting off the means for the enemy to surround us. Good call," Hayate replied.

" Sure…shall we?" Hiroshi asked.

Suzumi merely nodded her head in agreement, before they initiated their attack.

-

Ryouta fired a massive blast of fire towards his target. Two of his targets leaped to the side, avoiding his attack by mere inches. Ryouta persisted, firing multiple shots of fire all over the place, setting the place alight with his fire, his fire flying towards their targets in curved arcs. The roar of his fire could be heard ringing in their ears.

Sora skidded into view in front of one of them, trusting her fist towards him. The shinobi dropped his body, her fist whizzing past his head, before throwing himself forward, knocking himself right at her. Sora gave a grunt of pain as he hit her, knocking her down, but she wasn't ready to go down just yet. As she hit the ground, she tried to strike him on his shoulder, but he caught her hand promptly.

" What!?" Sora exclaimed.

" Not quick enough!" he replied.

Ryouta flew to her aid in an instant. The shinobi instantly leaped off Sora when Ryouta approached, wary of his body being shrouded in a cloak of intense heat. Multiple arcs of fire started to shoot in all directions, and the shinobi managed to gracefully avoid Ryouta's attacks, doing backflips a couple of times before landing some distance away.

" Damn it, Sora, I can't focus on my attacks if I have to constantly get you out of danger," Ryouta exclaimed, slightly irked. " You are better than this! Why aren't you fighting at your best capabilities?!"

" God damn it, I am trying my best," Sora groaned. " ...It's that bitch. She's been playing with me with her genjutsus from the start. I cannot fight with her disrupting my style."

Ryouta stole a look at the kunoichi who spoke to them earlier, who was now kneeling on one of the tree branches, grinning at them. It wasn't as if Sora couldn't recover from the effects of opening one gate. Sora's constitution was way beyond normal to even continue fighting despite opening the first gate, but the genjutsu expert in this team was giving them trouble, not to mention the other three combatants were not people to be trifled with.

The one who attacked Sora previously was an expert in taijutsu, more than capable of handling himself in Sora's presence. One more was an insect user, bees to be exact, from the now extinct Yamamoto clan, which used to hail from the land of Rock. The final kunoichi had not shown her abilities yet, and Ryouta suspected that she seemed to be hiding them.

" I'll deal with the genjutsu one. Hang on for a bit!" Ryouta replied.

" Three opponents?! Are you mad?" Sora exclaimed, before grinning madly. " …I like it!"

Ryouta dashed towards the direction of the genjutsu user on the tree, but the other kunoichi moved in-between both of them, wanting to block his advance. Fortunately, Sora launched herself at her, colliding her leg on the kunoichi's arm, forcing her backwards, allowing Ryouta to charge forward.

He slammed his fist onto the tree the genjutsu user was standing on, the trunk exploding the moment his hands touched the tree. The genjutsu user leaped off the branch she was standing upon, only to find Ryouta right behind her.

" What the…?!" she exclaimed.

Ryouta had been improving his signature fire technique ever since he created it when he was a genin. Using the tremendous amount of energy being produced, he managed to jettison himself across an area within a split second, something like a body flicker technique but which can be executed instantly at his will as long as his Immortal Phoenix Technique was active and done without the need for hand seals.

" You are the troublesome one in this bunch. I shall have to deal with you first!" Ryouta replied, before aiming both of the palms of his hands at her direction. " Fire Release: Roar of the Eternal Flame!"

An incandescent blast of jet blue flame shot out from Ryouta's hands, firing off like a massive pillar of rushing fire. A wild vortex of wind was warping around him, distorted throughout the space of the area as Ryouta was sucking in copious amounts of oxygen to burn. The amount of heat produce was able to disintegrate anything that stood in its path.

" …Shit!" Ryouta muttered.

The genjutsu user was unharmed, having merely blocked the blast by just raising her palm at him. Ryouta had no doubt that she managed to erect a barrier in time, preventing herself from being charred to death.

" Ryouta, watch out!" Sora cried in alarm.

The kunoichi who had engaged Ryouta previously had managed to break free from Sora as the taijutsu user and the bee user managed to keep Sora busy. Just as Ryouta ended his attack, she launched herself like a hunter towards Ryouta, just before clamping her jaws hard on his neck.

" Gah!" Ryouta exclaimed.

He could feel her molars sink into his neck like a set of fangs, piercing his arteries. He felt his warm blood flow down his neck as he was bitten, not before feeling the sensation of her sucking out his blood and chakra, ebbing slowly out from his neck. He reached over, trying to ward her off, only to have her split off from him in an instant.

" Shit…the hell was that?" Ryouta replied, groaning in pain.

" Mmm, tasty…very healthy, the kind that I like," the shinobi replied, licking her lips, savouring the taste of Ryouta's blood that was dripping off her lips. " Such vigour and passion. I need to feed on you a little more, pretty please?"

Sora skidded in-between Ryouta and the kunoichi, snarling like a rabid dog. " Back off, you old crone. You better stop hitting on my pal, or I will give you a pair of balls and bust them!"

The kunoichi looked irritated. " Old crone?! I'm only 19, you little twit! And the name is Tagawa Tsubaki!" she snapped back.

" Bah, pathetic! You will be henceforth known as the old crone, from now on!" Sora declared, pointing her finger at her and grinning fiercely.

" …Okay, I shall mutilate you first, hag! And I won't even bother 'drinking' YOU!" Tsubaki howled.

" Enough, Tsubaki. She's just trying to get you to attack. No need to fall for her pace. After all, we have the upper hand here," the kunoichi who used the barrier jutsu to block Ryouta's attack earlier suddenly spoke up. " After all, if this is the extent of the Phoenix of Konoha, I guess we don't need to worry too much…Tsubaki, Yashamaru, Haji, let's end this!"

The four of them moved into a tight group, with Haji and Yashamaru in front, while Ryouta and Sora merely braced themselves. Haji merely waved his hand in front of him, and several bees shot out from his sleeves, flying towards his targets like missiles. Ryouta raised his free hand that wasn't stemming the bleeding neck of his and snapped his fingers, channeling the chakra to his fingertips, before setting the bees alight from afar.

As soon as Ryouta attacked, Yashamaru slammed his fists on the ground, sending up a massive shockwave, throwing up tons of earth. This was no ninjutsu, but done using pure taijutsu alone. Ryouta and Sora quickly retreated, jumping backwards. Very quickly, Ryouta fired out a small ball of fire towards the on-coming earth, which exploded in a large bang, sending chunks of rocks everywhere.

Sora felt something move behind her, and she whipped around, only to have Tsubaki grab her from behind. " Alright, gotcha now, bitch!" she replied, smiling sadistically.

" Bad move," Sora replied. She then blasted shockwaves through her body, aiming them to rebound off on Tsubaki, only to have them hit an invisible cloak that surrounded Tsubaki, before rebounding them back to her again, hurting her own self with her own technique. " …Damn…barriers?" Sora gasped, coughing out blood.

" Most certainly!" Tsubaki replied, before her hand shot up towards Sora's neck. She caught hold of her hand, only to feel something repelling her hand from holding on to her arm. Tsubaki caught Sora's neck, holding it tight.

" Sora!" Ryouta cried in alarm.

" Don't. Take one step, and she gets it!" Tsubaki warned him.

" …Don't bother analyzing my barrier. You won't be able to break them, not even using brute force," the kunoichi replied. " Give it up. If you don't, then I cannot guarantee her life."

" …But, you know what, I think I'm going to take your life anyway, cos I don't like you…not one bit…" Tsubaki whispered into Sora's ear. Sora merely raised her hands, preparing to perform a double backhand. " Don't try, Yuuko already said…"

But Sora did not care. To everyone's surprise, she backhanded an invisible object behind her, slamming into something solid, before the sound akin to glass breaking at the volume of a thunder echoed around the area, just before a cloud of chakra expended out of nowhere, like a popping balloon. With a powerful tug, Sora yanked herself free, before slamming her foot into Tsubaki's gut, sending her flying backwards into a tree. Yuuko was visibly surprised that Sora managed to break her barrier, and from the looks on Ryouta's face, he was astounded as to how she managed to do that.

" Lesson number one for all bad guys in the vicinity: Never, ever, give a God damned monologue to me! I hate your fucking monologues, it hurts my ears," Sora replied, stretching her arm as she turning it around several times. " Lesson number two: I don't ever recall having Ryouta or me saying that we are showing the full extent of our powers of yet!"

It then occurred to Ryouta as to how she managed to free herself. Barriers were formed by forming a field of chakra surrounding an area. Two things were important in barrier making: chakra load, and chakra precision. Using barriers saps quite an amount of chakra, since it has to have more than enough power to withstand an on-coming attack. Next was properly holding it in place, and for this, precision in chakra usage was needed. To ease stabilization, all barriers were fixed with a wavelength, a sort of sound wave that reverberated through the barrier and fixed it in place. Sora, being an expert Sound user, merely emitted a wavelength of sound into the barrier to puncture it easily.

" Final lesson, number three: My name is Tanaka Sora! Hear my name and die!" she roared loudly, before activating her gates once more. " First Gate: Open!"

-

Makoto rushed in, before stabbing his trench knife at his target. The shinobi before him merely caught the blade in his hand, and the blade sank in deep through the palm of his hand. With a sudden realization of the situation, he recognized this technique, and instantly released his trench knife and leaped backwards. His opponent, seeing his hesitation, immediately pulled out the trench knife from his hand and flung his blood onto Makoto, the blood splattering on his chest. Without wasting too much time, Makoto ripped apart his standard issue vest and tossed it aside as if it was a diseased animal.

In his rush, he didn't hear his enemy approach him from behind, despite knowing that he was facing two opponents. A massive blast hit him from the side, a shockwave of energy sending him flying. He curled himself up, before rolling on the ground to reduce shock damage, getting to his feet as soon as possible. A few kunais flew in his direction, but they fell before him as he whipped his trench knife at them, cutting them cleanly in half.

" Oh, you seem to know my abilities well, Kisurugi Makoto," the one who sprayed blood on Makoto's vest replied. Makoto merely kept silent, keeping a close watch on his two opponents. A loud explosion diverted his attention for a second, just as he spotted Mayuri escaping from destroying one of the several rock golems that one of the shinobis had summoned, while avoiding wind blades that were flying in her direction. She managed to regroup with him, pressing her back against his.

" I've…meet your family members before…Sakata Matsuda," Makoto answered quietly.

" Hoh? I am honoured…" he replied. " After all, I am facing the Reaper of the Winds. Your abilities are a threat to us. I will have to deal with you personally here and now!"

The front part of his vest had now disintegrated. The Sakatas' have a bloodline ability to make their blood corrosive, so anything it comes into contact with will dissolve. Makoto had no idea what it was made off, but it was highly potent. If he had not taken off his jacket, Matsuda might have burned a hole in his chest.

" Hahaha, I think your long hair is getting in the way, girl," one of the kunoichi's replied, who was standing on one of the golems, while the golem summoner was hidden behind the wall of stone golems, careful to not expose himself. " Why don't you just cut them off? Maybe I can help, if you let me…"

Mayuri merely looked up at her with a pained expression. From the looks of it, Makoto figured that she wasn't holding up well, and he could sense her having a broken rib, although she did her best not to show it. They were at a serious disadvantage here, having to fight the four of them, and all of them were competent in their own right.

" …Who…who are you?" Mayuri asked.

" Huh? Why'd you want to know? Have you lost your mind?" the kunoichi asked.

" Makoto, she's obviously from our village. She uses trench knives just like the way you do, and the wind blades are so reminiscent of our village's style, there is no way she is not from our village," Mayuri replied. " Only thing is I don't think I've ever seen her before, and she looks like our age."

It did bug Makoto somewhat. The kunoichi using wind blades fought in a style similar to his, with some variations, but it was obvious that she picked up this style in his village, but her face was indeed unfamiliar. He could not imagine who she actually was.

" Who am I? My name is Nagato Akira," she replied, sounding slightly mad. " How's that? You know who am I now?!"

Mayuri's eyes widened in shock, and Makoto looked as if he was utterly confused. " What?! That's impossible! Are…are you Suzumi's sister?!"


	15. Chapter 14: The Gate Opener

**Chapter 14: The Gate Opener**

8 shinobis moved across the terrain with as little noise as possible, moving in such a way that indicated they had a specific target in mind. Silently and swiftly, with expert precision, they leaped past branches and trees, swiftly making their way across the forest without wasting any second. The leader of the pack stayed in the front, keeping a sharp eye on his surroundings, making sure there was nothing dangerous to impede his team's progress.

However, he wasn't good enough to anticipate the upcoming ambush. In less than a second, something impaled his chest with an extreme force, piercing his heart directly, and the force of the hit sent him backwards, not before breaking a few of his ribs and backbone. In a daze, he glanced downwards as he flew backwards, only to see a long javelin embedded in his chest. He could not imagine where this javelin had come from, and he had no chance to ponder upon the fact, because he died several seconds later when he hit the ground. His entire team skidded to a halt when they spotted the condition of their leader, only to take pause and look at the direction where the attack came from.

Some distance away stood a Sand-nin, his teeth flashing prominently in a malicious grin, knowing that he will enjoy this carnage. Hibiki drew his left arm back, and the chakra strings that were attached to Hime snapped back, before the weapon pulled itself out from the dead man's chest before flying back into his hands, which he caught deftly and spun around in a circle.

" Oh, and where do you think you are going?" he asked sadistically.

-

Mai and Masaki threw several shurikens at their targets, doing their best to hit their targets properly. They were arguably still very fresh in terms of combat experience, but with them throwing shurikens at their enemies, they could at least take some pressure off Hiroshi and Suzumi.

Hiroshi knew this was going to be a difficult battle. Both Suzumi and Hiroshi were ranged combatants, wielding their genjutsu and puppets and dealing damage from afar. However, with four shinobi charging at them, at the very least, one of them would have to handle melee combat while the other supported them from behind. Arguably, Suzumi was the weakest in the group in terms of melee combat, so it will have to fall to Hiroshi to do the honours.

Despite her rather unconventional training techniques, Sora was arguably still a good teacher in taijutsu, and Hiroshi managed to pick up some elementary tips and styles from her. He parried the blow from the first shinobi, and when Mai threw a shuriken at him, forcing him to move his head aside to avoid the blow, Hiroshi took the chance to elbow him quickly in the face, knocking him backwards.

Two of them split off, moving towards the sides, and from the signs he saw, it was obvious that they were trying to flank Suzumi. The last one charged directly at Hiroshi, his hands already forming his seals, trying to keep Hiroshi occupied while the other two aimed for Suzumi. Without wasting any time, Hiroshi took out a smoke grenade and primed it, before throwing it at the shinobi that came charging towards him.

The smoke grenade was not an ordinary smoke grenade, but doubles as a concussion grenade as well. As the grenade went off, the blast knocked the shinobi backwards, having not expecting that kind of attack, not before swallowing him up in a cloud of dark, purple smoke. Without wasting any time, he flicked out chakra strings from his hands and tossed them towards the two shinobis who were attempting to flank Suzumi, catching both of them. Yanking powerfully, he managed to trip both of them, sending them crashing onto the floor.

The one to the right of Suzumi managed to recover quickly, freeing himself almost instantly as soon as he hit the floor. Suzumi took a deep breath before spewing out a thick smog of poison gas from her mouth. The shinobi halted his advance and jumped backwards. Sensing his movements from the sounds he was making, Suzumi threw a slew of senbon needles in his direction. Sensing something amiss, he tried to leap away, only to have several needles strike him on his left arm and leg, nothing serious, but it did impair him slightly.

Hiroshi, having seeing that the first two were recovering, raised his hands and started to fire out kunais. Since he had retrofitted his lost arm with a puppet arm, he had little need to use his previous weapon launchers now, since he could easily store them in his puppet arm and launch them at will. Both shinobis leaped away, only to have 4 windmill shurikens fly in their direction. They avoided them with ease, but Hiroshi had rigged them to explode, sending the blades flying in all directions. Still, despite that, both of them did several back flips, avoiding the flying blades altogether.

However, Hiroshi was far from done. Extending his chakra strings, he attached them to three of the windmill shuriken blades at were fired back towards himself. The blades shattered into multiple, small sharp knives, not before flying towards their direction. Once again, they reacted quickly, but Hiroshi managed to snag one of them on the leg, although it wasn't serious since his mobility didn't seem to be hampered.

He noticed something odd in their movements. He wasn't fighting to the best of his capabilities, but neither were they, and were even confident enough to take some of their hits. Their actions showed as if they were waiting for something. Hiroshi's best guess was that some other team might be moving about, trying to get into a better position to ambush or attack them. This meant they needed to deal with this fast.

He took out something from his packs and threw it on the ground, before enveloping himself in a large cloud of smoke, concealing himself within it. He didn't linger there long, as he jumped out of the cloud of smoke several seconds later.

" Alright, preparations are complete. Time for the counter-attack," Hiroshi replied.

Mai and Masaki's jaw dropped open when they say Hiroshi. He wasn't alone, as he had two puppets standing side-by-side next to him. The only thing was: both puppets looked identical to him.

" Holy shit! That is so cool!" Masaki exclaimed. Hayate merely smirked at the sight.

" Bah, what's the point. They are merely puppets. As long as we keep an eye on his movements, they are not a threat," one of the attackers replied. " And why bother? It's not like we cannot notice which one is the real one by looking at the one using chakra strings."

" But…which one is the real one?" another replied.

The first Hiroshi started to stretch his shoulders, while the second cracked his knuckles, and finally, the third cracked his neck, and all three figures moved at the same time. Neither of the three showed any indication that they were controlling the other two in any way, despite all of them moving at the same time.

" Well, that got them confused," the first one spoke.

" No shit, this has got to be one of your best ideas yet!" the second replied.

" I don't really care! I want to beat some shit up! Can we start?!" the third replied.

" My God, even the way they are conversing…" Mai mused.

" Wait, what if they are all merely clones?" Masaki asked.

To that reply, Hiroshi raised his left arms before detaching the wrist to fire out kunais from the insides. The attacker jumped away as the kunais hit the ground in front of them.

" Clones? No, they are not," Hiroshi replied. " Well then, come on! Let's have some fun!"

-

" Sister? I gave no indication that she was my sister," Akiha replied, before cracking up in laughter.

" Was she lying?" Mayuri asked.

" No…strangely enough, she wasn't…" Makoto replied.

Shinobis sometimes use aliases, but due to some reasons, most of the time pride, some shinobis don't bother about keeping their names a secret. Akiha Nagato was telling the truth when she told them her name, but her surname being Nagato was almost impossible. He knew Suzumi well enough to know her background. The Nagatos came from a long line of puppet-users since the founding of his village, but due to wars and the constant strife, their family has dwindled down to their last remaining members. If Suzumi was to marry, the Nagato bloodline would end.

" Also, notice her eyes?" Makoto replied. " They have the sharp light blue tint. Only people from Suzumi's family carry that kind of eye colour. They are related, possibly a long-lost family member. Problem is, I didn't know that Suzumi even had a relative."

" Don't dwell on it too much, dearie~" Akiha replied.

" Oi, keep your paws off my husband!" Mayuri snarled, pointing rudely back at Akiha.

" …We aren't married yet…" Makoto corrected her, wondering why he even bothered bringing this up.

" Alright, enough of this shit! Let's fight!" Akiha replied, leaping off the stone golem.

Makoto was very wary of their enemies, since they seem to have a wide assortment of shinobi with advance skills. If he was not mistaken, Akiha was the one who managed to draw them away with her powerful genjutsu, but despite being a genjutsu specialist, she was highly proficient in taijutsu and wind manipulation for close combat, not unheard of, but it was very rare to find a genjutsu user who was an expert in close combat. Her companion managed to summon stone golems, large stone giants mould from the ground. Not only that, these rock golems were very fast and deadly, despite looking very bulky.

The two others, one had a bloodline limit, where he could corrode stuff using his own blood, no doubt an expert in melee attacks. The last one was very likely a former sound nin, since her combat style seemed to mimic Sora, who used sonic and sound attacks. All four of them were no doubt of jounin level, and by the looks, it seemed that Makoto and Mayuri were at a serious disadvantage.

" I have introduced myself to you! Tell me your names, so that I shall remember them as I destroy you utterly!" Akiha replied, laughing maniacally.

" Mizuno Mayuri!" Mayuri yelled.

" Kisurugi Makoto!" Makoto yelled as well.

All four of their opponents attacked at once. Prepping his jutsu, Makoto fired a violent blast of wind towards Matsuda and the sonic chick, but they moved aside, but this managed to buy them an opening to break out from. Jumping on Makoto's shoulder, Mayuri leaped up towards the sonic chick, grabbing her knees and spinning towards her at a mad pace, like a ball heading towards its goal.

" Reina, dodge it!" the golem summoner shouted.

Mayuri's hair wrapped itself all around her body, not before hardening and forming spikes all around herself, so she looked like a porcupine. Reina fired off a sonic blast to her right, which managed to propel her away from Mayuri's attack just as she flew past her.

" It's not over!" Matsuda warned her.

Looking backwards, she saw Mayuri land onto a puddle of water , no doubt which she had summoned at that very instant. The moment she slammed her feet upon the water's surface, large bodies of water rose up from the splash in perfect unison, forming perfect globules right in front of her.

" Water release: Pulse Shock Technique!" Mayuri exclaimed.

" Shit!" Reina exclaimed.

Mayuri's hands went into a blur as she started to punch all the globules in mid-air. The bodies of water fired themselves at break-neck speeds towards Reina. One of them knocked her on her shoulders, throwing her off her feet before crashing to the ground some distance away, and from the sound of it, it sounded as if she had dislocated her shoulder. However, the majority of them didn't seem to be aimed at Reina, since they flew past her.

Akiha dodged the first one that went for her, dropping to her knees as soon as she spotted the attack. The rest peppered the rock golem she was standing upon, shattering it to bits. Akiha was forced to jump off the golem, not before Makoto appeared right before her.

" You let your guard down!" he exclaimed, before slashing her with his wind-infused trench knives.

However, Akiha merely raised her hands in a blink of an eye, not before catching the blades just using the palm of her hands. Makoto stared in shock as his trench knives was stopped in their track by mere strength, and not only that, besides a shallow cut on her hands, he was not able to cut her any further, even with the sharpness of his wind infused weapons.

" Flash Hands Special Technique!" Akiha exclaimed.

Makoto wasn't sure if he was sensing an illusion, but all of a sudden, despite still holding on to his trench knives, he felt two hands emerge from Akiha's back. He tried pulling the trench knives free, but it was to no avail. A second later, he skidded backwards, two slight puncture wounds on his shoulders, thankfully escaping serious damage by having a layer of sand covering his body. If he had not set up his Sand Armour previously, Akiha would have tore through his shoulders.

" What…was that?" Makoto gasped, his shoulder stinging slightly.

It was hardly a genjutsu, or was it? Makoto was pretty sure he didn't feel any changes in her chakra system when she attacked him, nor did she prepare any hand seals before hand, so it was almost impossible for her to have cast genjutsu on him. Still, her reaction speed wasn't fast enough to create an alter-image of her two hands, yet they felt real.

" Makoto, stand back!" Mayuri shouted at him.

All of them turned to look at Mayuri, who took the time to summon a large body of water. A massive globule of fluids hung above her head, hovering in the air, rippling slightly when a wind blew or a leaf landed upon the body of water.

" Tch, another water technique of hers," Akiha replied. " Keep an eye on it!"

However, Mayuri didn't attack. She formed a few seals, before holding out her right arm. A bubble the size of her palm formed in front of her palm, not before the water globule above her started to flow into the bubble she created. Despite the size, she somehow managed to compress 1000 liters of water into a bubble the size of her palm. Akiha suddenly realized what she was up to.

" Shit, move!"

Mayuri flung the compressed water bubble towards her targets. " Eat this~!" Mayuri exclaimed in a sing-song voice, smiling at them.

-

With a sudden burst in speed, Sora threw herself towards Yuuko. Something stopped her, as she came into an abrupt halt as she crashed into something invisible, not before an ear-splitting crash could be heard, before she continued on her way. Yuuko merely clicked her tongue before falling back. It was evident that Sora had just shattered one of her barriers before continuing on her way.

" We need that barrier-nin down! I'll leave her to you. Let me handle the rest!" Ryouta replied, skidding next to her, charging chakra to his hands.

" Bah, can you handle them on your own?" Sora laughed at him.

" Not for long, be quick," Ryouta replied, grinning slightly.

" Not so quick!" Yashamaru exclaimed, not before Tsubaki and Haji followed him to intercept Ryouta.

Ryouta merely threw out his arms to the sides, not before streams of fire shot out from his palms, spiraling along the sides, cutting off the area between him and the three of them from Sora and Yuuko. Twisting his hands, the stream of fire formed a massive wall of fire across the forest, burning brightly. All three of them skidded to a halt, the incredible heat coming from the flames was more than enough reason to give them pause.

" Sorry, you will not be passing this area…" Ryouta replied, breathing heavily from exerting himself. " Immortal Phoenix Special Technique: Gates of Valhala!"

Yashamaru, Tsubaki and Haji looked in shock as the wall of fire started to form multiple spirals, the fire spinning wildly within the walls of the fire itself, like a vortex ready to break free at any moment's notice.

" Go burn in hell!" Ryouta whispered.

All at once, a hundred streams of flames shot forth with a ferocity like never before. The flames flew in random directions, but all, flew forward in a single direction towards their targets, like multiple fireworks being let loose from their charges. The fires incinerated everything in their path, burning past trees and dead leaves, like a voracious monster feeding in its wake.

They instantly backed off from the on-coming onslaught. Yashamaru slammed his fists to the ground, and followed it up by picking up a large chunk of earth from the bottom and throwing it towards Ryouta. The flames pierced through the chunk of earth, not even slowing down at all.

" Crap, we will have to just dodge it then!" Yashamaru exclaimed.

" Pfft, looks like you all are losing!" Sora laughed at Yuuko when she advanced towards her position.

" Don't be daft, we are not done, not by a long shot!" Yuuko exclaimed, forming her own hand seals.

Sora leaped at her as she shot out her hand, as if to block something. Something ethereal seemed to form in front of Sora, which were no doubt Yuuko's troublesome barriers. Without wasting any time, she slammed her fist into the barrier, shattering it without any problems. The instant she destroyed it, several more popped up, wrapping Yuuko in several layers of invisible chakra barriers.

" These barriers are not going to stop me!" Sora yelled.

With extreme gusto, Sora pounded her hands rapidly over each barrier, each strike more than enough to shatter it into oblivion, and having her First Gate open made things easier, but it would not last for long. However, she still found that Yuuko was still some distance away, forming barriers at an incredible speed, way faster than Sora, who excelled in speed, could not keep up.

" Tch, I see…" Sora mused.

Most barriers were made in the form of a semi-circle that surrounded the caster, or the target the caster wanted the barrier to be. This took up quite an amount of chakra, since they needed to cover a large area that surrounded them. However, if a barrier is only focused on a specific area, perhaps a 5 by 5 feet area in front of the caster, it would still shield the caster effectively as an entire barrier that surrounded him or her, provided the attack he or she was meant to block came directly from the front and hit the 5 by 5 area. Thus, Yuuko had been creating smaller, area based barriers around her. Instead of creating a single, whole barrier that surrounded her in the shape of a circle all around her, she could create 5 to 7 layers of barriers wherever Sora attacks instantly, and from her estimation, Yuuko could easily place up to 4 barriers in an instant, which means a maximum of 28 layers of shielding wherever she wanted.

" Nice trick, but I can see through it!" Sora replied.

Yuuko's eyes widened when she saw Sora perform a body flicker technique, disappearing from her sight. It wasn't really a body flicker technique, but more towards the fact that she moved at such high speeds that it looked like a Body Flicker technique. She caught some movement right behind her, and spinning around, she saw Sora flying towards her while executing a spinning kick. She whipped her hand around, setting up several barriers in front of her.

" That ain't gonna stop me!" Sora shouted at her.

With a sudden swing, her leg hit the first barrier, not before emitting a massive shockwave that tore through the other barriers, breaking them all in unison. Yuuko flinched when the shockwave hit her, knocking her backwards. She raised her hands again, setting up all her barriers, but Sora effortlessly slammed the palms of her hands into the first layer when she landed, and a resulting shockwave destroyed the rest.

" This…this isn't possible," Yuuko mused.

" Well, believe it, dipshit," Sora replied " I'll let you in on a little trade secret of ours. All 6 of us have a special talent field in which we excel at. In terms of destructive ability, I rank the highest amongst the six of us. There is absolutely nothing my fists cannot destroy!"

"...Something is odd…" Yuuko replied.

" What is?" Sora asked haughtily.

" Your First Gate," Yuuko replied. " If I am not mistaken, you have already opened it for more than a minute. Opening the gates will only grant you temporary strength, and there is a limit for it since it stresses your muscles from all the exertion. Lasting more than a minute in itself is a feat, and you don't seem to want to slow down anytime soon, not to mention you opened it previously already."

Sora merely broke into a smile, before chuckling, then finally breaking into a loud, crude laugh, and Yuuko was slightly scared at the sight of her when she started cracking up, no doubt being right in front of a crazy shinobi. She slowed down, not before saying " You know what, I am in a good, fucking mood tonight, so I am going to tell you one more trade secret: I don't know about you, but all jounins in our village, before becoming a jounin, besides fulfilling all other pre-requisites, there is one important pre-requisite we must fulfill before they can consider us a jounin. All of us must have some special ability, or something out of the ordinary, something that makes us stand apart in a large body of talented combatants. We must have at least something we can truly call, a personal trump card. For me, having sonic abilities is not enough. After all, I'm no different from a Sound shinobi with these destructive abilities alone. Care to guess what my jounin trump card is?"

Yuuko didn't reply.

" Personally, I have two. First, being my ability to withstand tremendous amounts of damage, up to a total average of what can kill 5 regular shinobis," Sora replied, taking several steps closer towards Yuuko. " My second one, is to hold the record of using the gates for the longest period of time. My current record is 4 minutes and 39 seconds. Now, a grand total 1 minute and 35 seconds have passed. Think you can last for the next 3 minutes and 4 seconds?"


	16. Chapter 15: Turning the Tide

**Chapter 15: Turning the Tide**

Hiroshi jumped towards his target, his doubles following him from behind. His enemies cautiously leaped backwards, trying to keep a safe distance from him, and they had every reason to. A puppet if full of traps, and stepping into its range can spell instant death, and Hiroshi was well-known enough to be dangerous with his weapons. Now, with himself disguised as a puppet, his enemies had no choice but to retreat, unless they were willing to risk a 1/3 chance to hit him.

" Three…three similar puppets?" Suzumi gasped.

" Actually two. One of me is the real body, you know, but they don't know that," Hiroshi replied. " Well, well, well, four on four it is…"

Two Hiroshi's flung kunais at one of their targets. Two shinobis dodged the attack easily, but it was merely a set up so that the third Hiroshi was able to attack them. He skidded into view, attempting to backhand the shinobi, but missed as he flipped backwards to dodge the attack. However, one of the two initial puppets instantly moved behind him for an ambush, but was thwarted when one of the four shot fire from his mouth, keeping him back.

This disguised puppet technique had one major flaw: it couldn't do anything flashy. No doubt, Hiroshi kept a large variety of arsenal in his puppets to make them deadly, but to use them meant opening his weapon compartments, which arguably meant that he would need to reveal which of his puppets were really puppets. This was merely a delaying technique, since he was trying to buy some time, least his companions managed to make it back. Still, he wasn't one to take things lying down, and despite taijutsu not being his forte, he still attempted a counter attack.

" Alright, let's end this! Suzumi, back me up!" all three Hiroshi's exclaimed.

" Urm…A-Alright…" she replied.

Hiroshi threw out his arms, a whole slew of chakra strings were flung towards his enemies from the three figures. All of them managed to leap back, but Hiroshi managed to snag one of them with his chakra strings.

" Perfect…" he replied, grinning slightly.

However, within a split second later, something flew past him from behind, flying past his head. A katana, which looked somewhat familiar, was thrown from behind him, and it hit Hiroshi's target on his shoulder. Looking behind him, he saw that Hayate had unsheathed his sword and tossed it towards him, grinning slightly. The wounded shinobi gasped, staggering slightly, not before trying to pull out the sword.

He didn't get a chance. Before Hiroshi could even do anything, something, or someone, flew past him, grabbing the katana and pushing it all the way into the shinobi's shoulder. He gave a cry of pain, but was quickly silenced when his attacker ripped the katana through his body, tearing it in half with absolute ease, the crimson sight and smell of blood washing into the night sky.

" You!" Suzumi exclaimed.

" Hello there, you seem to be in a bit of a pinch," Hibiki replied, grinning maliciously. " Oh well, now that I am here, maybe I should tear up some of these fools. How'd you like them cooked, eh?"

Hibiki looked terrifying. Most of the blood that spurted out from the man he killed washed over his body, but from the beginning, it looked as though he had been covered from head to toe in blood in the first place. His face was a mess with all the blood covering it, looking as if he had just ripped apart a man with his bare hands to make himself look like this. His attire was mostly in shreds, but he was still standing strong, like a hungry beast ready to pounce on his next prey.

" That's impossible! There were supposed to be two teams coming from your direction! How did you…?"

Hibiki immediately silenced the speaker in an instant, jumping at him and sinking the katana into his chest, the terrifying sight of Hibiki slowing his movements. Hiroshi had to admit this was far more effective than any type of fear inducing genjutsu, since this one was a real figure of an absolute monster. Suzumi winced as Hibiki started to playfully cut through bone and muscle, the sound like music to his ears.

" It is simple: I killed them all!" Hibiki replied.

" It's impossible! There is no way you could have killed all…"

Hibiki didn't wait. The third shinobi was dead before he could even finish his sentence, and the fourth was already long gone from the place when Hibiki was done with the third one.

" Where the hell were you?!" Hiroshi exclaimed, slightly alarmed.

" What? I was taking care of business…seriously, what would you do without me?" Hibiki replied, turning around to face them.

Suzumi and Hiroshi gasped at the sight of Hibiki's body. His front as tattered and full of wounds, this time covered in his own blood. He had sustained multiple injuries, mostly cut and stab wounds. The moment he turned around, he instantly dropped to his knees and fell to the ground, his aggressiveness merely a façade to hide the fact that he was pretty much half dead. Hiroshi and Suzumi were instantly by his side, their hands charged with their medical jutsus.

" Brilliant. Fucking brilliant! You sure love these scenarios, don't you?!" Hiroshi spat, both his and Suzumi's hands over his body, immediately assessing Hibiki's condition. Luckily, despite his serious injuries, if Suzumi and Hiroshi managed to close up his wounds quickly enough, his life would not be in any danger. " Suzumi, you are better at dealing with internal wounds than I am. Check his internal organs and make sure there is no internal haemorrhaging. I'll deal with his external injuries." Suzumi merely nodded her head without even looking at him.

" Hey, that tickles…" Hibiki laughed, coughing slightly.

" Shut it, wise-guy!" Hiroshi snapped back, not before turning back to the Blood-nin trio. " Keep an eye on your surroundings. They might come back!"

-

" …Is he going to be okay?" Mai asked worriedly.

" No worries, he's one tough guy. Sand-nins are famed for their tenacity to survive…I'm sure he'll be fine…" Masaki replied stoically.

" …Heh…" Hayate chuckled to himself, grinning slightly at the sight. " This is truly spectacular. To even take down 8 shinobis by himself and still come back to aid his comrades…absolutely brilliant. These people have exceeded my expectations."

" …Hayate…you can't mean…" Mai gasped.

" What's with that look?" Hayate asked, glaring at her.

" …You can't mean that you knew about this attack, and let it happened?! They could have gotten killed in the process! What were you thinking?!" Mai hissed, careful to keep her voice down to make sure Hiroshi or Suzumi didn't overhear them.

" I need pieces in my plan. This was merely to see if they could serve me properly. If they could be defeated by such an attack, they could hardly survive an assassination attempt on my uncle," Hayate replied. " Perfect. The seven of them will be essential…well, Suzumi is a wildcard factor, but I guess this is for the best."

" But…they saved us," Mai replied.

" Forget it, when Hayate makes up his mind, there is no stopping him," Masaki sighed. Mai merely glared at him angrily and he immediately shut his mouth.

" Mai, such shallow thinking. You think them saving me changes anything? We are all shinobis, tools of war to be used, and I shall use them as I see fit," Hayate replied. " Make no mistake, assassinating my uncle is the only way they can save themselves now. In fact, they should be honoured to serve me…"

Hayate merely smiled at Mai, who looked angry, knowing full well for her own sake, she won't rat out on him. " This is getting interesting…amuse me, Sand/Leaf shinobis…" Hayate replied, chuckling to himself.

-

The whole area was now aglow with a bright orange hue, as the forest started to burn at with the intense heat surrounding it. Ryouta stood in the middle of the ring of fire, breathing heavily from having to expend all his chakra. He merely glared at the sight in front of him.

" How was it?" he asked.

Sora appeared right next to him just as she shut down her First Gate, still able to move despite having opened it for more than three minutes. She sighed, obviously sounding dejected.

" They ran away," Sora replied. " Can't trace them now, and I am more worried about the rest of them. Somehow, someone managed to screw up their plan."

" Plan?" Ryouta mused.

" I could sort of hear it. Yuuko was talking on her radio or something, and I heard something like the assault failed," Sora answered.

" Hmm, that would make sense. These people were merely here to hold us back," Ryouta replied.

" You think so? Then…"

" Yeah, let's get back to base now," Ryouta replied, not before the both of them head back to camp as quickly as their legs could carry them.

-

Torrents of water started to rush through the place. Makoto leaped up as high as he could go, not before preparing himself to walk on water, his chakra channeled to his feet. Landing with a splash, he sank about a feet before rising to the surface again.

Akiha broke the surface without missing a beat, apparently proficient enough to travel quickly through water. Makoto dodged the attack she threw at him, rolling to the side as she flung one of her knives at him. In a split second, Akiha was right behind him, her arms pulled back to throw another strike at him.

" Damn, she's quick!" Makoto replied, gritting his teeth.

Just as she thrust the knife towards him, a body of water shot upwards, like a thin pillar, taking the blow. The strike was buffered, and Akiha felt her arm grind to a halt, as if the water was made up of a really powerful adhesive. She released her hand instantly as the water pillar suddenly sucked up her knife, before dropping it to the ground, sinking into the large body of water they were currently standing upon.

" Water release: Aqua Fang Riper!" Mayuri shouted, bursting out from the body of water.

She swung her arms powerfully, as if clawing an invisible target. Powerful currents of water instantly shot towards Akiha, as if Mayuri had suddenly emitted a wind blade in the shape of claw marks made from water towards Akiha. Her attack was cut short when the area around them exploded in a loud bang, sending the water showering all over them.

_A sound based attack…?_ Makoto thought to himself, his ears ringing slightly.

" What's the meaning of this, Reina?" Akiha snarled angrily, seeing Reina in front of her, apparently blocking Mayuri's attack.

" We have been ordered to retreat. Yuuko has told us that the assault had failed," Reina calmed spoke to her while the other two guys formed up and flanked them. " We need to retreat."

" Why? We can kill these idiots and try another round," Akiha replied.

" The element of surprise is gone now," Matsuda replied. " We don't have the advantage here."

" Tch, fine…" Akiha replied. Before either Makoto or Mayuri could react, she snapped her fingers and all of a sudden, all four of them faded from view in an instant.

" Makoto…" Mayuri spoke up.

" I know…that was one high level genjutsu, made just for escaping. Can't even trace them. These guys are no mere amateurs. Even we had difficulty holding them back, even if they were here to stall for time," Makoto replied, gritting his teeth. " I'm worried about the rest. We need to make haste!"

-

" Bwahahaha! Look at you!" Sora exclaimed gleefully when she spotted Hibiki lying on the ground, covered in bandages and blood. " Pathetic…I left you for a while, and you got owned? Seriously, do we really need to keep an eye on you?"

Hibiki merely turned to her and calmly asked " Tell me, how many people did you beat?"

Sora narrowed her eyes. " …None…" she answered honestly.

" Really now? I killed no less than 11 guys tonight," Hibiki replied, smirking now. " I wonder who really got owned!"

" What?! You lie!" Sora shouted.

" Nope, he managed to pawn 8 guys and even came to help us," Hiroshi replied, wondering when this form of bickering will ever end. He suspected it never will somehow. Hibiki managed to give Sora a thumbs-up sign, which infuriated her.

" Enough bickering," Ryouta warned. " Tonight, we have been presented with a dangerous foe. Their capabilities for genjutsu has far surpassed our expectation. Our only consolation was they were using it to draw us away from their intended targets. If they wanted to go all out to attack, I doubt all of us would still be alive right now."

" Damn right. I was wondering where the hell did the five of you went," Hiroshi replied. " Got caught in the enemy's genjutsu?"

" Yeah, we had some problems," Mayuri answered.

" This level of genjutsu execution was similar to Suzumi's level," Makoto replied.

The rest of them turned to Makoto as he said those words. " What…what are you implying?" Sora asked.

Makoto simply turned to Suzumi. " Suzumi, do you know anyone who goes by the name of Nagato Akiha?" he asked stoically. " As far as I can recall, I'm pretty sure there is no one else besides your family who carries that name. Does the name sound familiar to you?"

Suzumi looked very confused. " …No, I don't recall the name…or either that, I do not remember it," she answered honestly.

" What's up with that?" Sora asked.

" We managed to come across someone who had the same surname as Suzumi," Makoto replied.

" So, it's not like our surnames are exclusive," Sora retorted.

" It is," Hibiki answered. " Nagato is a surname exclusive to our Wind country, and with Suzumi's parents now gone, Suzumi should be the last legitimate person to carry that name…could it be a ruse, Makoto?"

" Perhaps, but the thing that struck me as awkward was the fact that she had the same light blue tint in her eyes as well. Call me paranoid, but I think…"

" GAH!" Sora screamed.

" What now!?" Hibiki hissed.

" Ryouta, try to recall! When we got trapped in that genjutsu, there was this chick behind it," Sora exclaimed excitedly. " I wasn't paying attention at that time because I could hardly connect the pieces, but now that Makoto has mentioned it, didn't her eyes have the same light blue tint Suzumi has?! Yuuko, that was her name!"

Ryouta merely frowned and thought for a while. " True, she did have a light blue tint for her eye colour, not to mention she was the one to cast the genjutsu on us," Ryouta replied.

" Whoa, why are we linking genjutsu with Suzumi!? Doesn't Suzumi come from a line of puppeteers? Wouldn't it make more sense that these people who are supposedly related to her use puppets instead of genjutsu?" Hiroshi argued.

" Correct, but a further discussion will have to wait," Ryouta replied. " Pack up our stuff and let's head out now. Our campsite is no longer safe anymore. Blood-nins, are you all alright?"

" We are fine. All of us can leave at any moment's notice," Hayate replied, indicating he had packed their stuff already. Ryouta narrowed his eyes at the sound of his reply. _That kid…bah, we'll deal with it when the time comes…_ he thought to himself.

Hiroshi and Mayuri hosted Hibiki on their shoulders, since he was too weak to move on his own. When they made sure that their campsite was clean, all of them promptly left the area, not aware at a lone person was observing them from a distance, not before chuckling to herself and leaving the area in the opposite direction from where they left.


	17. Chapter 16: Bridge of Ruin

**Chapter 16: Bridge of Ruin**

" How do you feel?" Hiroshi asked.

Hibiki merely got up and stretched himself, twisting his arm several times, before shaking his limbs. " Fine, slightly dull ache, but I am pretty much functional right now," he answered, not before taking out his spear and started to spin it around in circles. " Time to kick some ass!"

" Oi! That's not what a partial invalid should say!" Hiroshi exclaimed.

" Bah, leave him, Hiroshi! I can't wait to see him break in the middle of a fight," Sora replied, snarling at him.

Hibiki calmly strode towards where she was sitting and stood arrogantly in front of her. " Hmph, looks like a beaten dog can only make senseless, good-for-nothing barks. Sore that you received a trashing and had nothing to show for it? Don't worry, it is understandable to be upset, even I'd be upset under such circumstances," he answered laconically.

" That's it, prick, I don't care if you got a broken rib or two. I'm treating everyone equal today, and you shall receive an equal and just beating," Sora snapped back, cracking her knuckles.

Hiroshi raised his hand, his lips ready to give some sound advice, but instead after contemplating for a moment, he decided not to. " You know what? Screw it! They can settle their own differences, and I'm not giving free treatment this time around," Hiroshi grumbled.

" Aww, they look sweet together," Mayuri cooed.

" Fuck, no!" Both Hibiki and Sora snapped back angrily.

All of them were holed up in a small hut they managed to borrow from a small village nearby. As it was unused, the villagers had no qualms about them using the place for temporary shelter. It was only several hours ago they had managed to escape from their pursuers who ambushed them in the middle of the night. Nobody got much sleep after that, and they were naturally tired from the lack of sleep, although it wasn't a good reason for Sora and Hibiki to fight though. They just do it, about as naturally as breathing to some people.

Despite being tired, Hiroshi still managed to fix them all breakfast, having had toasted bread for breakfast and some fresh milk procured from the nearby villagers. Naturally, after getting an excellent feast, most of them were pumped and ready to hit the road.

" I think we should move. We don't want them to catch up on our scent, not when I cannot sense their presence nearby," Makoto replied.

" A good call. We should keep moving. I suppose we'll take extra breaks just to stay in shape," Ryouta replied. With those words said and a little packing, the 10 of them were off on their way again.

Hiroshi had to take in the sights while he was travelling. He had not been in this area before, and only Ryouta and Makoto had any experience travelling through the area they were in, so the rest of them were in danger of not having a geographical advantage. It was also important for Hiroshi to take in details about the surrounding area least he was needed to undertake a mission this far from home, no intel was unwanted, no matter how insignificant they may be.

As Ryouta promised, they took frequent breaks to make up for the lack of sleep last night, and during the breaks Masaki and Mai could be seen dosing off. The rest of them took short naps as well, but Hiroshi noticed that Hayate was the only person to not take a break. Slight dark bands beneath his eyes told him that he too lacked sleep, but he seemed adamant on not taking it. Either he figured he didn't need it, or there was some ulterior motive behind it.

Their entire day was pretty much uneventful, that was until they managed to reach their first obstacle of the day.

Somewhere in the middle of noon, they came across a large stretch of river. The rapids were raging across the large river, and the bank was close to 300 meters across. Crossing a body of water was almost a pre-requisite to all shinobis, but to cross a raging rapid was another matter. Masaki and Mai admitted they were not confident they would be able to cross it without a 50% chance of falling in, and Hiroshi and Suzumi aren't experts in crossing large bodies of water either.

" Do you think we can build a bridge?" Makoto suggested.

" Using a Earth jutsu? Possible, but it's damn far, and the structure needs to withstand enough pressure and forces for us to cross. Do you really think it's feasible?" Hibiki replied.

" I suppose we will have to try to find out. There aren't any nearby bridges on the map, and it's due to the rainy season that this river is this violent this time of the year, something we didn't manage to place under consideration," Ryouta replied. " Alright, I'll handle the main jutsu casting. Makoto, help me with the chakra control. Hiroshi, I'll need help in the details."

The three of them went to work. Their first attempt at building a stone bridge across failed when the bridge cracked while being formed halfway. The second attempt ended even quicker when the hardness of the stone wasn't in the right amount, and cracked and fell into the river after shooting out a few feet. The final attempt managed to stretch a long path of stone right across the river, fixing itself to the other side, a path about 3 feet wide and the path 1 feet thick.

" Think it'll hold?" Suzumi asked.

" One way to test it out!" Sora replied. " I've got the fastest reaction speed her, and I could have easily walked over the water at any given instant. Let me try it out!"

" One person at a time, please. I don't want to waste my chakra making another later," Hiroshi sighed.

Sora bounded across the bridge with quick, light steps. Hiroshi somehow expected the stone bridge to crack at any given notice, but Sora managed to cross the bridge without trouble. Once she was across, she energetically waved her hands back at them while calling Hibiki names.

" She's going to get it," he snarled as he bounded across the bridge as well.

Each of them took turns crossing the bridge, and since Masaki took several glances to the raging water, crossing it took some time. After a while, all of them were across, and all that was left were Hiroshi, Makoto and Suzumi, who was crossing the bridge halfway.

" Alright, after you," Hiroshi replied.

" Me, what about you?" Makoto asked, grinning slightly.

" Relax, I got your back. I can take care of the rearguard," Hiroshi replied, sounding slightly annoyed.

" Alright, alright…calm down. I'll go first then," Makoto replied good-naturedly. He took one step on the bridge, before freezing in his tracks. Hiroshi wondered if he was simply waiting for Suzumi to finish her entire run across the bridge, but apparently it wasn't. There was a look of shock on his face, and Hiroshi knew full well what it was when he suddenly heard a loud splash of water from directly under the bridge.

" Suzumi, watch out!" Hiroshi yelled.

The warning didn't reach her in time. The bridge suddenly broke apart in the apparent shock of a blast from a water jutsu. Hiroshi could only watch in terror as he saw Suzumi at the distance fall into the raging water, screaming as gravity took its course. The next instant, he was soaking wet as he dove right into the river to save her. He furiously swam towards her, flying through the water as if his life depended upon it. The moment she popped back up to the surface of the water, he lunged forward and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards himself.

" H-Hiroshi!?" she exclaimed in alarm.

" It's alright, I gotcha," he answered.

However, they were far from out of trouble. The speed of the flowing river was faster than he imagined, and his companions were already out of sight. Worse, it looked like they were heading for a waterfall. How tall this waterfall was, Hiroshi had no idea, but he figured it was tall enough.

Suzumi clung onto Hiroshi tightly just as they felt the water below them give way to nothing.

They were rudely greeted by hitting the water below. Hiroshi's back hurt, but he was mostly fine, so he quickly swam to the surface when the drop was over. Thankfully for both of them, the river was quite deep, and there were not rocks where they fell, so they managed to escape with minor injuries. Hiroshi managed to burst through the surface, not before seeing Suzumi pop up right next to him, along with Hayate.

" You!" Hiroshi exclaimed in alarm.

" Yes, I am flattered you remember me," Hayate replied.

" What the hell are you doing here?" Hiroshi demanded.

" I'd rather talk on dry land. I'm not sure if you prefer it that way as well, but I highly recommend it," he replied curtly, not before swimming off towards the closest bank. Hiroshi and Suzumi merely followed. The river below the waterfall was larger, thus the water flow was less violent than the one above, thus enabling them to reach the bank with ease. All three of them got up on land and did their best to dry themselves quickly.

" So, why are you here?" Hiroshi asked.

" What? I saw Suzumi fall into the river, so I jumped after her. Arguably, I guess it was a stupid move, considering that I suck in swimming," Hayate replied, shaking himself dry.

" That's nice, but at least you caught up to us. I was lucky Hiroshi managed to catch me. I'm apparently not a good swimmer, or at least, I've probably forgotten how to," Suzumi answered sheepishly. " So, what now? Do we go back and find our comrades?"

" No, it's a little dangerous now. If they are ambushed, the most likely course of action they would take would be to flee and find a safe place to hide first. Heading back to a place where we were ambushed would be illogical, plus I am bad at tracking people, and so are the rest of you two."

" So, what do you suggest then?" Hayate asked.

" Ryouta always marks areas on the maps just in case we somehow managed to split up for whatever the reason. These will be our rendezvous points. If we were ever to separate from the group, we would head to the rendezvous point and meet up first," Hiroshi replied.

" I wasn't aware that he did anything of the sort," Suzumi replied.

" Well, he did suddenly mention '23-24-52' all of a sudden during the start of the morning," Hayate noted.

" Yeah, coordinates…anyway, let's move. I don't want to linger here too long. None of us here are particularly good at sensing enemies, so I suggest we keep moving," Hiroshi replied.

-

Ryouta thought he was seeing things when he noticed some oddity below the raging water when he crossed the bridge. He should have figured out that there was a shinobi lurking underneath, and it was his carelessness that made him lose Suzumi in the process. Hiroshi dove into the water and took off after her, and strangely enough, so did Hayate. A split second later, Makoto was on their side as well, quickly coming over by running across the rapids.

" Shit, I was careless!" Ryouta exclaimed loudly.

Sora and Hibiki instantly flung explosive notes into the river, detonating them the moment the hit the water's surface, blasting out large chunks of water from the river. Mayuri instantly went to the water's surface, not before dipping her fingers into the river.

" …I can't sense anyone. They must have escaped, or their method of concealment is far better than my tracking abilities," Mayuri replied.

" What about Hiroshi and Suzumi!? We need to rescue them!" Sora exclaimed.

" …Wait, what about Hayate?" Masaki asked.

" It's not like the both of them will be fine on their own!" Hibiki exclaimed as well.

" …Oi, what about Hayate?" Masaki asked again, not amused that he was being ignored.

" Forget it, if Hiroshi is with Suzumi, they'll be fine. We will have to trust Hiroshi to take care of her in our absence. Besides that, we need to leave. This place is no longer safe now," Ryouta replied. " Hiroshi should know our next rendezvous point. We will need to meet up there."

" This is the second time they have managed to catch us unawares," Makoto replied. " Having a unit stationed at the river shows that they were anticipating our moves."

" Wait, Makoto, you cannot be suggesting…?!" Hibiki stammered.

" No doubt about it, they are using some sensor ninja to track us like the last time," Makoto replied.

" You had experience with them before?" Mayuri asked.

" Yeah, we sure had. Little pricks gave me a hell lot of trouble. I'm going to make them pay this round," Sora replied, cracking her knuckles.

" …Hang on, you are referring to that one person who beat the shit out of you, right?" Hibiki snorted back.

" Oi, dipshit, you want an extra asshole?!" Sora snarled.

" Enough!" Ryouta snapped back, feeling a little pressured now that Hiroshi wasn't around to keep Sora and Hibiki in check. " We had to escort Lady Kaguya, a Grass country lord once when we ran into this same group. No doubt, they are using the same methods to track us."

" You suppose we have to travel slowly now?" Sora asked.

" … I suppose that's the case…let's move out," Ryouta replied.

" As I was saying, what about Hayate?" Masaki tried one last time. " Hello?"


	18. Chapter 17: Mika Miyako

**Chapter 17: Mika Miyako**

" Where…where are we?" Suzumi asked.

" About two kilometers east of the second border. There should be a small town nearby. We can get some rest there, while find a place to dry our stuff. I'll get us some food as well," Hiroshi replied, not before noticing Suzumi having a dazed expression on her face while blushing slightly. " Hey, Suzumi, are you alright? You seem to be going red in the face."

" Eh? Am I? Sorry…I was just thinking about what you might be getting us…" she replied, going redder in the face.

" Oh, I see…I'll see what I can get," Hiroshi replied. Perhaps not the reply he was hoping to get, but Hiroshi was somewhat glad at least he was being depended upon, even it only means being able to provide something to eat. " Come on, let's take a look."

All three of them continued along, until they managed to stumble upon the town in question. It was located behind a knoll, and from the looks of it, it looked like a trading town, with the markets sprawled with food and equipment before them. For a small town, it was unusually busy.

" Wow, this place is really busy. Quite a lot of activity for a small town, won't you say?" Suzumi replied, looking curiously at the wares displayed before them.

" There is a local festival going on, that's the only reason this small town is busy this time of the year," Hayate answered. " It's their annual festival where they celebrate their local Gods and deities, and we have managed to stumble on the last day of the three day festival, so it's busy today."

" …Did you hear someone talking about it?" Hiroshi asked, his eyes scanning the area at the wares displayed, and to keep out for danger as well.

" …No, I know this as a fact," Hayate answered confidently.

" So, what now?" Suzumi asked.

" I suppose we should find a place where we can rest for a bit. Then, if we can afford it, I'll go around shopping for some wares. We'll need all the equipment and supplies we can afford for the long run. I have a good stock, but it won't hurt our chances to stock up when we have the chance now," Hiroshi suggested.

" Excellent call. I know a perfect place where we can rest for a bit," Hayate replied.

He led them through the crowd, and from the way he moved, Hiroshi felt this wasn't the first time Hayate had been in this town. Soon enough, he reached a small apartment block in the middle of the sprawling town, entering the apartment block. Moving up the stairs fluidly, Hayate came upon a room, not before forcing his way into a block, the door giving way with only a slight push.

" …You've been here before, haven't you?" Hiroshi muttered.

" …Hmm, I wonder what gave that away," Hayate replied. " Anyway, this is an unused block. We can take a break for now. You want to go buy some supplies now?"

It was a good idea at that time, but now when he thought about it, if he left to buy supplies, this meant he had to leave Suzumi alone with Hayate. There was nothing wrong about it, but he was a little worried about leaving the two of them alone. However, despite his thoughts on the matter, he decided not to show it.

" Sure, you two wait here, I'll be back soon," Hiroshi replied, not before heading down towards the town center again.

" Want to drink something first? Although the only thing available here is plain water, I suppose," Hayate suggested.

" Hmm, why not? I am a little thirsty," Suzumi replied.

" Take a seat, it's a little messy and dusty since nobody uses this place, but try to make yourself comfortable," Hayate replied, not before heading towards the kitchen. Suzumi did as she was told, and slowly entered the living room. Much of the room was dark, since the curtains were drawn, keeping most of the sun out from the apartment block. It was a simple yet comfortable place, and Suzumi happily sat down on one of the soft, cushiony sofas.

Hayate headed towards the kitchen, not before checking the taps, which were fortunately still functioning. Cleaning two glasses, he poured two glasses of water directly from the tap, not before heading back to the living room, only to see Suzumi soundly asleep on the sofa she was sitting on. Hayate could only grin to himself.

" …Perfect…" he replied, setting the glasses aside not before taking out a handkerchief and covering his nose and mouth with it. Walking aside, he tossed a small piece of paper, which was covered in dust of some sort, not before setting it alight and letting it burn at a remote corner of the room.

Walking slowly towards Suzumi, he leaned over and looked at her. The expression on her face was serene and peaceful. Drawing a chair for himself, he sat himself in front of her, observing her body closely.

" Wake up, I know you are there," Hayate whispered. " I don't mean you any harm. I just want to talk."

As soon he spoke those words, Suzumi slowly woke up, before opening her eyes. They no longer had her original light blue tint, but this time, was filled with an eerie crimson glow, a piercing gaze that seemed to penetrate the soul. Strangely enough, both of them broke into grins as they saw each other.

" Oh…you sure have balls calling for me," Suzumi spoke in a dark, deep tone that was unlike her.

" I merely wish to talk to you," Hayate replied, smiling back calmly. " Perhaps, you could honour me by telling me your name?"

Suzumi merely laughed out loud, her voice cackling like mad. Hayate merely watched in fascination as she stood up, her hair floating as if she was submerged underwater. She casually brushed her hair, not before emitting a ominous aura about her that sent chills down Hayate's back.

" I am Nagato Aya," Aya spoke, the split personality spoke to Hayate. " Now, puny boy, tell me your name and entertain me, or I shall make you regret the day you were born for waking me up in such a fashion."

-

Hiroshi was spoilt for choice in the market place. Tons of people were selling an enormous variety of foodstuff at their stalls, and Hiroshi had trouble deciding what to get. Hiroshi liked stocking up a large variety of foods during long trips, since it was essential for them to sustain themselves, and to do it well. Nutrition was always a problem with shinobis who had to go on long missions or were trapped in enemy territory. Granted, situations like these in which he had gotten himself involved in were rare, but in the case of such problems, shinobis who found themselves stuck in such situations are unable to function optimally after a certain period of time with the lack of nutrition, and their health and well-being will be severely affected in the long-run.

During shinobi meetings, Hiroshi had occasionally voiced his concern on food supplies during long missions. Most shinobis, even genins, had basic training in foraging for food in the wild, but most of them didn't have much knowledge on nutrition and had a limited choice when it came to foraging for food. A steady diet of fish for the long run wasn't exactly healthy, and a number of their shinobis were usually stationed away from home, sometimes for months. Being able to keep healthy was a primary concern.

With some help, he managed to administer some form of food training, where the fresh genins in the academy would learn some basic knowledge in food and the importance of staying healthy. After his stint in the real world, Hiroshi felt that the training in the academy was not up to par to keep genins ready when they undertake their first new missions. The academy supplied them with a lot of theoretical knowledge, but little important practical ones, save for combat. Arguably, almost 90% of all missions do not take that long that food was of any importance, but in the event of an emergency, like times of war, it would be essential for shinobis to function solely in enemy territory for months on end while keeping optimal combat capabilities, which was very difficult.

Hiroshi's team were usually given long missions, due to the fact that Hiroshi was suited for arduous travelling and combat in the form of attrition. Not only could Hiroshi cook nutritious meals, they were delicious as well, which was a great morale booster. Ryouta and Sora had even admitted that they would be totally screwed by now if it wasn't for Hiroshi supporting them. It did feel awkward somewhat for being relied on by someone he respected.

He was now buying food to prepare as rations. The problem with basic food was that they were easily perishable, so Hiroshi usually had to cook and preserve them quickly so that he can store them and use them in the long run. Most of the time, he would forage for food, but when supplies are lacking he would resort to his rations, thus saving them to trouble of finding food in a pinch.

He had selected a good variety today. He kept a large part of the food in his scrolls, sealing them so that they wouldn't take up too much space. He was careful to do it discreetly, since he didn't want to alert the local population of the presence of a shinobi. Remote towns sometimes rarely see shinobis, and standing out wasn't a good idea at this time, so he was careful to hide in alleys before keeping his stuff the shinobi way.

It was troublesome to pack food now. Hiroshi was a little used to just feeding Sora and Ryouta plus himself, now not only did he had to contend with his Sand companions, but extra kids and a girl who's appetite rivaled Sora's. Packing food for all of them was a serious pain in the rear end for him, but it was his job.

After an hour, he was pretty much done buying food for the day, although after passing a stall selling beef, he was tempted to buy them to make jerky, only cos it was the best way to pacify Sora in the long run. However, just as he was about to walk to the butcher, he stopped.

He was being watched. He had no idea why, and he had no idea how, but he was almost certain that he was being watched. Looking around, he could not spot anyone who was observing him in any way, still there was a nagging feeling that he was being closely watched, or appraised more like.

_It's more dangerous than I thought. Buying supplies here was a waste of my time,_ he thought to himself, not before taking a step back, more than ready to race back to the apartment where he left Suzumi and Hayate.

" …I thought you were about to buy some beef, perhaps making jerky?...Or am I mistaken?" a soft, female voice asked.

Hiroshi turned around to see a young girl standing behind him, dressed in a pink kimono, her long red hair tied behind her back in a long, thin ponytail that barely touched the floor. From her height and looks, she could not be older than a 12 year old, possibly younger. She looked up at him with her round, sharp, black eyes, looking with the curiosity only a young, innocent child could have.

" It's rare to see a shinobi here. Are you from a foreign country?" she asked politely.

Hiroshi almost instinctively wanted to jump backwards and throw a weapon, anything at her, but he stopped himself. He wasn't sure why, but perhaps being a kid was a primary reason. He had been spotted by a kid, a mere kid. This young girl was certainly not ordinary, Hiroshi could feel it, yet strangely enough he didn't sense the least bit of hostility coming from her. He forced himself to relax, calming down after a while.

" Don't worry, I won't rat on you. Most shinobis come here to run away from something," she answered.

" Are you…a shinobi?" Hiroshi asked, careful to keep his voice down.

" …A missing-nin would be a better description, although it is not by choice," the young girl replied. " Would you be a missing-nin as well?"

Hiroshi scratched his head sheepishly as well, wondering if he was going red in the face. " Well…I suppose you can say that, but again, not by my choice…" he answered.

The girl made Hiroshi's heart jump as she smiled sweetly at him, a cheerful, warm smile, something that reminded him of what Suzumi used to smile like when she had her memory back, the smile that made him fall in love with her. " Looks like we are the same, big brother," she replied happily.

" …Big brother?" Hiroshi muttered, raising an eyebrow.

" Do you have siblings?" she asked.

" …Only child," Hiroshi admitted.

" Do you mind having a sibling?" she queried.

" …Why not?" Hiroshi answered, willing to amuse her.

" Hurray! I've got a big brother now!" she replied. " What's your name, big brother?"

" Hiroshi, Suzuki Hiroshi," he answered honestly.

" Big brother Hiroshi then," she replied, grinning at him. " I'm Miyako, Mika Miyako."

" Nice to meet you, Miyako," Hiroshi replied.

" So, are you going to continue to buy your beef?" Miyako asked, smiling and looking cute at the same time.

-

Hiroshi had no idea why, but for the last 15 minutes, he had spent the time following Miyako around the town, with her shouting an exclamation every once in a while at everything she thought was interesting, which ranged from sweets, to trees, and even people. He did, however, managed to eventually buy his supply of beef to make jerky afterwards.

" So…er, Miyako, why did you become a missing-nin?" Hiroshi asked, trying to start up a conversation.

" Hmm, well, I come from a fairly famous clan, or at least I think it was. People figured the members of my clansmen were too dangerous, thus they decided to eradicate everyone of us. I think I am the only surviving member left," Miyako replied.

Hiroshi felt a pang of sadness towards her, even despite her talking about the eradication of her family so casually, as if said without too much emotion. Such brutal actions were common, as a threat to the security of a nation sometimes meant war, even if the opposing party has no intention to fight. In the world of shinobis, sometimes even owning the potential to wage war was enough reason to wage war against it. Hiroshi suddenly realized that just like Suzumi, she was the last member of her family left. He wasn't sure of the implications of being the last of your kind.

" I'm…sorry to hear that…" he replied.

" Oh, I don't mind, it's not like I remember my parents anyway," she answered. Hiroshi wasn't sure why, but the similarities between her and Suzumi seem to be piling up somewhat. " …I have a bloodline ability. People feared it, so they prosecuted us, even though people who had my bloodline ability were not shinobis."

" And yet, you are a shinobi, a missing-nin no doubt," Hiroshi replied.

" I suppose I have no place to call my home. I make a living by running illegal errands, and being a missing-nin helps, since I have to admit, my bloodline ability, when used at its fullest capabilities, is suited for shinobi combat. It's been my way of life, and I think I have to be content with it," Miyako answered.

" Must be hard," Hiroshi replied.

" Not really," Miyako answered, turning around and smiling at him. " I bet you are new as a missing-nin. In terms of experience, I suppose I am your senpai in these matters."

" …I suppose so," Hiroshi answered, before thinking for a while. " Say, why did you wanted to speak to me?"

" I 'analysed' you and decided you were suitable to talk to," she answered. Hiroshi was not entirely sure what she meant by 'analyse', but he didn't plan to discuss it any further. " Perhaps, I was just bored. I don't get the chance to talk to people like you."

" I…see…" Hiroshi muttered.

" So, leaving already?" she asked.

" Huh?"

" You were merely buying supplies before leaving this town, correct? You've been walking around for more than an hour buying your stuff. Don't want to let that amnesiac companion of yours and that Blood-nin kid wait for too long," she replied. She noticed that Hiroshi did a double-take when she spoke to him. " Oh, I noticed all three of you for some time now. You are going to meet up with your companions, aren't you?"

" How'd you know that?" Hiroshi asked.

Miyako merely smiled. " That's my bloodline ability," she answered.

Hiroshi wasn't sure what to say. It felt like as if throughout their entire conversation, she seemed to be able to anticipate what he wanted to do, or say. It looked like her bloodline ability had something to do with reading his mind, or this was some powerful genjutsu he was experiencing.

" You don't believe me?" she asked.

" Okay, what am I thinking now?" he asked.

" …You are about to buy me a parting gift, are you not?" Miyako answered.

_Dead on target,_ he thought. " Then, I suppose you know what I am going to get you?" Hiroshi asked.

" Surprise me," Miyako asked.

Sighing for a bit, he walked off towards a fruit stall and got himself a large guava, which from the looks of it, was probably sweet. Cutting the fruit quickly, he took it out and slipped it into a small pack of brownish looking powder from his pack, before handing it to Miyako. Taking the gift, she took the guava slices, which were now covered in the brown powder, and took a tentative bite. The look on her face told her that she liked it.

" Wow, I like it…what is this?!" she asked.

" Molasses, seasoning salt, and dried preserved fruits shredded into powder," Hiroshi answered.

" Heh, I knew it, you are full of surprises, big brother Hiroshi," she replied.

Despite appreciating her presence, Hiroshi knew he had to leave now. " Alright, I need to go now. If you live around this place, then I suppose this will be the last time we will be seeing each other. But I suppose if we live long enough, we will see each other again," he replied.

" I know we will!" Miyako replied cheerfully.

Hiroshi merely smiled, before running off towards the apartment blocks. He gave a quick wave, and Miyako waved back at the distance. Hiroshi was oblivious to the change on her expression, as she suddenly dropped her sweet demeanor and glared at him from behind with a serious, stoic expression on her face, the innocent look now lost, foreign to her. Her eyes changed, now glowing blue as it looked like a swirling spiral, spinning outwards around her irises. Two figures walked out from a nearby shop, not before standing behind her, looking at Hiroshi from the distance.

" So, how's your analysis?" asked the female of the pair.

" Combat potential: 78%; technical knowledge: 95%; strength and speed below optimal range for jounin; reaction speed: decent; knowledge on total combat abilities: unknown; combat rank: B;," Miyako replied in a deadpan voice.

" His statistics are unimportant. What is important is whether he can be defeated. Yes, or no?" the male of the pair replied, a large bulky man in his 30s who obviously looked out of place from the crowd.

Miyako paused for a while. " Negative: I cannot fight that man," Miyako answered in a deadpan voice.

" Are you serious? Even with your abilities? You have to be joking, right? In terms of fighting capabilities, Hiroshi is the weakest amongst these jounins we are up against! You even said that you could beat Sato Ryouta, alone. What makes this guy so special?" the girl asked.

" Combat evaluation, percentage chance of winning against Suzuki Hiroshi: 12%," Miyako answered.

" …You are shitting me, correct? You are just shitting me, right?!" the girl replied, now sounding angry. " You have a 85% chance of beating Ryouta, the one who is dubbed the Phoenix of Konoha, one of the best geniuses of the Leaf, and you cannot beat this lame-ass puppeteer? You even rated his combat potential as average. How is he a threat?!"

" Yuuko, enough," the man spoke up. " Miyako's abilities are never wrong. If she says she cannot beat him, she cannot. There is nothing to it. We just have to change our plans. We need to annihilate Ryouta's group first, before we make our move to capture Suzumi. Miyako's abilities will be crucial in the fight, so take her along."

" Understood," Yuuko replied. " How about you?"

" I have other things to take care off. After last night's events, I thought you might appreciate some payback," the man answered.

" Bah, I am not one to hold grudges, but we need to capture Suzumi as soon as possible. The 'Crimson' seal has been activated, but we didn't get enough time to acquire her. It is an important step we will need to achieve our goals, but we don't know what will happen if left unattended to. The more time she spends unattended to, the more risk we will be taking when we use her," Yuuko replied.

" Then secure them by all means. Has the tracker found Ryouta's group yet?" the man asked.

" He has," Yuuko answered.

" Then leave no trace of them behind. Hindrances to our 'organisation' must be purged," the man spoke, not before walking away, leaving Yuuko and Miyako to stand in the middle of the crowded street, with Miyako slowly eating the guava slices coated in seasoning in which Hiroshi had just given to her.


	19. Chapter 18: Absolute Annihilation

**Chapter 18: Absolute Annihilation**

" What's up with you?" Masaki asked.

" Hayate is missing, that is what," Mai answered angrily.

" What's with you? You seem to emit hate for him when he's around, and yet when he goes off for a while, you seem to miss him. What's with this ridiculous change in attitude?" Masaki sighed.

" I am just worried about him," Mai replied.

" …This is Hayate we are talking about, you know that, don't you?" Masaki replied.

" You speak highly of him," Makoto chirped into the conversation.

" Of course, there is no other shinobi I would depend on than him," Masaki replied proudly. " He is a scheming bastard, I'd give you that, but he always does things for our sake. I trust him with my life."

" For our sake, or for your village's sake?" Hibiki asked.

" Heh, I'd like to think both," Masaki replied.

" Such cheek," Sora muttered. " I'm hungry. Are we there yet?"

" No, we still have some distance to cover. We won't be meeting up with Hiroshi anytime soon, so no snacks for now," Ryouta answered.

All of them continued to make their way north to meet up with Hiroshi, Suzumi and Hayate, hoping that they would be able to rendezvous properly without being ambushed again. Ryouta had no idea whether moving at a walking pace would still be useful this time, but running away seemed to still get their pursuers on their backs, so they may as well try to advance cautiously.

" Looks like Sora is highly reliant on snacks to keep her going…which would probably explain why she seems to have too much pent-up energy," Mayuri replied, smiling at her.

" Nah, she's reliant on them to keep her trap shut," Hibiki answered back.

" Either that, beating the shit out of you works damn well enough," Sora replied dangerously.

" Alright, that's enough," Ryouta replied.

All of them have been making their way across the area by foot, moving slowly. From what Makoto could hear, there was nothing suspicious around them, at least not yet. Ryouta wasn't sure why they had even bothered to place a trap at the river, and not even pursue them, and this made him a little cautious.

They have been making good progress so far, but the rendezvous point was still quite far off. Ryouta somehow hoped that nothing bad happened to the other three who split up from them, and when they get there, they would find them in one piece.

" So, how far off are we from the border anyway?" Hibiki asked.

" Well, if my estimation is correct, I suppose a one-day's trip would be sufficient enough, although it may take longer if we travel at our current speed, depending on the geographical conditions. Then, we would need to pass through 1 more neutral country before we reach the Hidden Metal border, which we need to be careful about," Makoto replied.

" Oh boy, I'm not sure if I want to go into it," Hibiki sighed.

" Pansy, loss your balls?" Sora sneered.

" Hush! We've got company!" Makoto snapped back, alerting them back to their predicament.

All of them halted their advance, bracing themselves for a possible attack or ambush. However, their enemies were apparently confident, confident enough to walk out from the trees in front of them and present themselves before them.

-

Suzumi was slurping the drink that Hiroshi had prepared in a spare canteen with a straw, apparently from the excited and flushed looked on her face, she was enjoying what she was drinking. It took her a while to finish, and when she did, she gave a loud sigh of contentment, apparently having enjoyed the drink very much.

" Wow, this is really amazing! I don't remember ever drinking such a revitalizing, refreshing yet savoury drink before," Suzumi exclaimed. Hiroshi was somehow expecting her to say that she might have forgotten she ever had, but strange enough, she didn't mention anything about her amnesia this time.

" Indeed," Hayate replied, having a canteen to himself as well. " This is quite a piece of work. What is it made off?"

" It's a special fruit juice mix. I managed to mix up a healthy concoction of local fruits, mixed with mint, glucose powder and some salt. Nutritious and refreshing, not to mention it helps maintains hydration, especially in this kind of weather," Hiroshi replied.

" You sure know your stuff…even for a drink, you seem awfully meticulous," Hayate remarked.

" Well, force of habit. My parents own a restaurant, so I picked up a lot of cooking tips from them. Mixed with all the medical knowledge I learned from our village, I guess I managed to become the chef of my team," Hiroshi answered honestly.

" Still, it is pretty good…I suppose feeding people is good for morale," Hayate answered. Strangely enough, he didn't sound sarcastic like he always was this time, but maybe that's because he was enjoying himself.

Some part of Hiroshi knew that Hayate wasn't particularly telling them the entire truth. He was obviously scheming something, and the worst thing was Hayate was open about it, having told them he was indeed doing something for his own benefit. He somehow didn't liked it when he returned to the apartment block. Nothing outwardly happened, and Suzumi told him she was fine, but he did somehow find it odd that Suzumi was sleeping throughout her entire time while they rested in the apartment block. He so wanted to blame it on fatigue, but Suzumi didn't look the least bit tired, so there was really no explanation on why she decided to sleep for almost a couple of hours. First thing he thought of was Hayate, but he wasn't sure what role he played in this.

" …How about you?" Hayate asked.

" Huh?" Hiroshi mused, not sure how the question was directed.

" I meant, it's nice of you to give us drinks, but how about you? Had your share?" Hayate asked.

" …I'm fine, thanks. I had already drank before I gave both of you your shares," Hiroshi replied.

" How about the rest of them?" Suzumi asked.

" Yes, I have prepared their shares as well," Hiroshi answered.

Hayate snickered slightly. " Wow, you are really domesticated," he replied, smiling mischievously.

" You have a problem with that?" Hiroshi asked.

" No, not really…" Hayate replied in a carefree manner. " Are we there yet? We seem to have been walking for a while now."

" Perfect timing, we are here now," Hiroshi answered.

Suzumi took a look around them. They had managed to stumble across a short valley, and right before them lay a small village, although from the looks of it, it looked fairly empty or devoid of people. Nobody seemed to be in the vicinity, so the rest of their teammates were not here yet.

" Oh well, looks like we are early. Guess we just have to camp here and wait for them to come," Hiroshi replied.

-

" You again? What, you came back so that you could have your ass kicked?" Sora snarled.

" Not exactly," Yuuko replied.

" Tch!" Ryouta clicked his tongue. Once again, they have been challenged, but this time it was a little different. They were confident enough for a head-to-had confrontation. Not only that, they apparently only brought 4 people along with them, with Yuuko included, paling in comparison to almost a 20 men team the previous night. Along with Yuuko, she brought along what looked like a young kid with short, spiky hair, a girl donning a large cloak that covered her entire body and a simple mask to hide her face and a guy who looked in his late-twenties who looked rather bored at the proceedings.

" What do you want with us?" Ryouta asked. " Has this got to do with Suzumi?"

" Well, wasn't that obvious?" the kid replied.

" What do you pricks want with her, huh?" Sora asked.

" You don't really need to know. I just need to all to disappear from my sight," Yuuko replied.

" Alright, bring it on! I'll take all you bastards! See if you can stop me!" Sora shouted brashly.

To her reply, out stepped a fifth member. She was younger than the young kid who was with them, with a long ponytail that could rival Mayuri's in terms of length. She looked quiet, and slightly timid when she stepped out, her black eyes darting about nervously. Moreover, the rest of them could not believe she could be fitting enough to stand in front of them, or even come here dressed in a pink kimono.

" …Hey, are we supposed to fight the kid?" Sora asked.

Yuuko knelt down next to the young girl and whispered into her ear. " …Miyako, kill them all," she whispered.

Miyako looked a little confused. " …Must I have to?" she asked timidly.

" Yes," Yuuko answered.

All of a sudden, Miyako turned serious and stoic, her innocence disappearing in an instant. " …If you say so…" she answered quietly.

" Tch, I don't care if you are a kid, but I'll kill you if you dare stand up to me!" Sora replied, smashing her fists together.

" Urm, I'm not sure if you should be this violent," Mayuri suggested.

" Useless bitch, come and get me," Miyako taunted her.

Sora disappeared in less than a second, before anyone amongst them in their group could say anything about it. A split second later, she appeared right behind Miyako, her hand drawn backwards, ringing with her sonic energy, ready to deal a world of hurt. Her fist came charging in, only to find pause when Miyako raised her hand and stopped her in her tracks by catching her fists without even turning her head.

" What?!" Sora exclaimed in surprise.

Miyako slowly turned towards her, and Sora could clearly see that her eyes were glowing blue, having a strange, spiral shape on her iris that was clearly rotating inside her eye. Sora tried to push her fist, but found that she had absolutely no strength to budge Miyako, who probably weighed less than 30 kilograms.

" You've got to be kidding me!" Sora shouted, pulling her fist back, not before swinging her leg right towards Miyako's face.

Miyako didn't even flinch. She merely dropped her head gracefully, not before moving at speeds reminiscent of Sora's, before carefully jumping up onto her, landing knee first on Sora's shoulders. Flipping slightly, she hopped off, not before slamming her fist right through Sora's back once she landed on the ground, piercing out through her stomach.

" Sora!" Ryouta and Makoto exclaimed in alarm, while Mai covered her mouth in shock.

Sora sure wished she was being delusional at this point, because she was looking at a frail, bony hand protruding out from her abdomen. The pain she was suffering was so excruciating it was numbing her senses. Miyako had punched a hole in her abdomen almost effortlessly, like as if she wasn't trying. As soon as she hit, Miyako pulled out her hand, careful to pull with such precision and force as to not stain her kimono with Sora's blood, letting her fall to the ground face first, with Sora's consciousness slowly fading.

" Tanaka Sora, the Sonic Fang, overly enthusiastic. Your arrogance and pride will be your downfall. Current combined combat threat: 12%," Miyako spoke in a dead monotone.

" Oh God, this isn't possible…" Mai moaned. The rest of them looked on in shock, unable to handle the fact that Sora had been soundly beaten by a 12 year old kid, who looked like she was barely even trying.

" Go on, finish the rest of them," Yuuko urged her.

There was a sudden rush of wind, not before Miyako raised her hands, just before catching Hime using her index and middle finger, stopping Hibiki's break-neck speed advance. Hibiki had shot at her with the intention to kill, but now was held at bay by her meager fingers.

Miyako swooped in quickly, perhaps her size giving her an advantage in speed, not before slamming her palm on his chest and gripping it hard. Hibiki groaned in pain as his knees buckled slightly, blood dripping out from his reopened wounds, still not fully healed from the previous encounter.

" Gendou Hibiki, the Fang Lancer. You have yet to recover from your wounds, in which I shall take full advantage off. This will hurt a lot. Current combined combat threat: 8%" Miyako mechanically spoke.

Hibiki screamed in pain as Miyako dug her fingers deep into his freshly heal wounds, not before tearing his bandages apart, his wounds reopening and spilling his blood on the ground. She picked him up using one hand, and then slammed him to the ground, rendering him silent, careful to not land a speck of blood on her attire.

" Tell me I am dreaming this!" Makoto spat, obviously nervous now.

" Hang on, there is some trick to this," Ryouta replied.

" Trick or no trick, she just pawned both of them without any effort. I've seen Hibiki last longer against jounins while he was half dead!" Mayuri exclaimed. The two blood-nins where huddling behind the three of them, obviously terrified of the sight of the Miyako slowly walking towards them, like an avatar of death.

" I know that, that's why I am asking you all to calm down. There is a technique to this!" Ryouta replied. " I'm not sure if you noticed this or not, and Makoto obviously cannot see, but whenever Miyako was attacked, her eyes lighted up in that blue glow, mixed with that spiral in her eyes. I do not know what it serves, but that is the only time when she attacks."

Mayuri tried to calm down and analyse what Ryouta had said. It was true, Miyako's eyes were now black, and when Hibiki and Sora were soundly beaten, it was glowing blue, along with having a spiral shape to boot in her iris. Was it a jutsu she activated when she needed to attack, or could she only activate it to counter-attack?

Miyako blinked once, not before having her eyes assume the bluish spirals. The moment it happened, she rushed at them, but all of them broke up, jumping backwards in different directions, with Makoto and Ryouta grabbing Masaki and Mai respectively while they retreated quickly. Miyako's eyes regained her original black tone, not before she looked at them with a bored expression.

" She can only use her abilities when she activates those eyes. The reason why she doesn't keep them activated all the time is because I suspect it poses some risk to her body, or else she would keep them activated all the time, not use it occasionally between attacks," Ryouta replied.

" Perceptive. Morale and spirit boosted, along with confidence levels. Current combined combat levels: 11%. Sato Ryouta, the Phoenix of Konoha, primary target. Priority in elimination," Miyako replied.

All of a sudden, without warning, she magically appeared in front of him, like she warped out of nowhere right in front of him, looking at him with her blue eyes now. Ryouta didn't have time to react as she raised her hand towards his face. _Genjutsu?! Shit, too fast and too quick for me to react to!_ He thought to himself.

However, Miyako turned around just to intercept several wind blades that were shot by Makoto towards her direction. She merely raised her palm towards the jutsu, and as the wind blades hit her hand, they dissipated into nothingness. The next moment, she spotted Ryouta flare up, his hands burning brightly with his signature technique, not before spewing a massive jet of fire right in her direction.

Miyako clapped her hands together, and took a deep breath. Ryouta gasped in shock as she suddenly started to suck in the fire jutsu he used, the fire being drawn into her mouth as she drew breath. It then hit him what she was about to do, and just had enough time to jump back just as she spewed the attack back at him. His hands burned slightly as he retreated.

_Shit, she did something to that fire…I am usually immune to most fire attacks, and that one even looked ordinary…_Ryouta thought to himself.

Miyako didn't stop her advance, and merely leaped at him. Ryouta swung out his arm, only to have her catch his fists, and instantly disable his technique, his flaming hands extinguished the moment she caught his fists.

" What?!" Ryouta exclaimed.

" Sato Ryouta, the Phoenix of Konoha. Elemental specialist. Absolutely useless in front of me," Miyako replied, not before slamming her palm on his chest. The shock that followed made Ryouta feel like his insides exploded. Coughing out blood, he collapsed on the ground, bleeding from his mouth.

Miyako spun around, not before catching Makoto as he struck at her with his trench knives, her glowing blue eyes glaring right at him as she grab hold of his arms with little effort. She then quickly slammed her palm on his head, not before blasting some form of chakra out from her hands, sending him flying backwards.

Mayuri looked terrified at the sight of Miyako, having taken out pretty much the entire team already. All that was left was Mai, Masaki and her, and considering that the rest of them didn't stand a chance against her, it was unlikely she stood any chance against them.

" Kisurugi Makoto, the Wind Reaper…hardly a threat…" Miyako muttered, not before advancing towards Mayuri.

" Get out of here!" Mayuri shouted towards Mai and Masaki.

" Huh?" Mai mused, not sure if she heard that right.

" I cannot hold her back. Get out of here now!" Mayuri exclaimed, not before seeing Miyako leap at her, her hands outstretched, ready to grab her in the face.

_Writer's note: Been busy with University, so I was a tad bit late in updating this story. _


	20. Chapter 19: Ash Saber

**Chapter 19: Ash Saber**

Mayuri had no idea why at that moment, but all of a sudden, Miyako leaped backwards just before she was about to reach out and grab her face. Just as that happened, a sudden explosion occurred next to her, the blast radiating as it shot out from her right, almost knocking her off her feet, but she somehow managed to keep her feet firmly placed on the ground.

The next thing she knew was that several figures popped up in front of her, the smoke from the blast making it hard to see. She heard a soft, whip-like sound ring in the air, not before hearing something being dragged across the area. As the dust settled, she could clearly see Hiroshi in front of her, his chakra strings attached to his fingers as he stuck them to his injured comrades and pulled them away to safety.

" God damn it, what the fuck just happened?" Hiroshi demanded.

Mayuri looked around her, only to see Hayate and Suzumi by her side. Suzumi instantly went to heal the rest of their injured friends, while Hiroshi kept a close eye on their enemies.

" Tch, I didn't expect you all to turn up here," Yuuko grumbled.

" Hayate, you are alright!" Mai exclaimed.

" What's this, happy to see me? This is a rare sight indeed," Hayate replied, smirking.

" I was just trying to show concern, jackass! Fine, go get yourself killed next time!" Mai snapped back.

" Sorry, Hiroshi, I don't know how, but our enemies managed to use that girl there, and she managed to single-handedly beat all four of them. I couldn't really do anything," Mayuri apologized, looking at Makoto who was being treated first by Suzumi.

" What? You mean the girl in the…wait…Miyako?" Hiroshi gasped, as if noticing her for the first time. Perhaps the shock of seeing his comrades severely hurt deterred him from taking notice of a young girl in a pink kimono.

" You know her?!" Mayuri exclaimed.

" I met her! Only just!" Hiroshi exclaimed, his shock suddenly transferred to rage when he saw her. " So, this is what you meant, huh, being a missing-nin? And to think I actually felt sorry for you…"

However, to everyone's surprise, even to their enemies, Miyako apparently had no intention of fighting any longer. She seemed to be cowering slightly, as if in fear, taking a few tentative steps backwards, her eyes jutting around like a cowardly mouse. She also seemed to be hyperventilating slightly, and her fingers were obviously trembling and jittery.

" W-Why…are you h-here…g-go a-away…s-stay away f-from m-me…" Miyako begged, her voice stammering as she spoke.

" …You have got to be shitting me. Are you telling me that Sora, Hibiki, Ryouta AND Makoto were beaten by this kid who is scared shitless after looking at me?!" Hiroshi exclaimed, in a slightly irritated manner. " Tell me something is wrong here!"

"…Stay away from me!" Miyako exclaimed, not before running away.

The instant she turned her back, Hiroshi dashed towards her to full speed. He didn't know exactly what was going on here, but from the looks of it, for whatever the reason, it seems that Hiroshi would be able to handle her as an enemy even when the rest of them could not, and if that was the case, then he couldn't waste this opportunity. He had no idea how he was scaring her shitless, but he didn't care for now.

Just as he started to run towards the fleeing Miyako, Yuuko moved in to intercept him, but all of a sudden, long, wispy looking ropes appeared out of nowhere, not before dragging her aside and pulling her to the ground. Mayuri had instantly reacted, using her extremely long hair to act like moving ropes to hold Yuuko in place.

" Sorry, dearie~, my hair is really not just for show…" Mayuri cooed, not before responding to Hiroshi. " Hiroshi, we'll hold the others back for a bit. Go deal with that kimono kid!"

Seeing that Miyako was unwilling to fight, the rest of her comrades sprung into action. The male kid all of a sudden extended his arms towards Hiroshi, not before shooting out what looked like a metallic pole from his arm. Hiroshi barely managed to dodge the strike when multiple spikes protruded from the metallic pole itself that had been extended from the boy's arm, one of them managing to graze his shoulders.

_A shapeshifter? Damn it…_he thought.

An explosion knocked the boy's arm away, and he turned to see that Suzumi threw an explosive. Hiroshi took this chance to slip past his opponent, and continued his advance towards Miyako. It didn't take him long before he caught up with her. Grabbing her roughly by her arm, he dragged her aside not before slamming her onto a tree, his left hand reaching out and grabbing her by her neck roughly.

" Why are you doing this?! Is this your choice?!" Hiroshi demanded, raising his right arm, ready to smash her skull in. For such a fragile looking kid, one good hit would crack her skull open with ease. Yet, something made Hiroshi hesitate for whatever the reason.

" Please…d-don't hurt m-me…y-you are s-scaring me…" Miyako whimpered, obviously breaking down into tears at this point. " I'm s-sorry…I-I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"

" Hiroshi, what are you hesitating for?!" Hayate shouted back at him.

Hayate's words snapped Hiroshi back to his senses, but before he could do anything, the kunoichi armed with the katana swooped next to him while he wasted his time hesitating. Something swung in front of him, not before realizing that his arm had suddenly become detached from his own body.

" Shit!" Hiroshi snapped, realizing that the kunoichi had cut apart his arm from almost the shoulder length. Thankfully, it was his puppet arm, so he managed to pull back without suffering any severe damage. Purging the extra puppet arm parts still attached, he pulled out a scroll to get a replacement arm, only to find someone giving him a good kick where his arm got cut off, sending him to the ground.

" Hiroshi!" Mayuri and Suzumi exclaimed in alarm.

Groaning in pain, he took a look at the damage. His puppet arm was attached to his main body using a lock mechanism attached by mechanical contraptions, made up of cogs and springs, allowing him to attach puppet arm pieces to his left hand side. The kick had pretty much damaged his left arm socket, so until the fight was over and when he had time to fix it, his left arm cannot be replaced for the remainder of the fight.

" You were careless, Puppeteer of the Leaf. That will be your downfall," the kunoichi replied, before readying another attack.

Sparks flew as steel struck steel, just as Hayate skidded into view, his katana now drawn from its sheath. The kunoichi who was armed with the katana merely looked slightly annoyed with him.

" Stand up, is that the extent of your abilities?" Hayate asked.

" You should stop worrying about other people and worry more about yourself," the kunoichi replied.

" Oh, and why is that?" he asked.

All of a sudden, a slash wound appeared on Hayate's shoulder, the warm blood splattering out from the injury. Hiroshi recognized the attack, knowing that the kunoichi had slashed him just as they crossed swords. He wasn't able to see the attack, so he had no idea how it was even executed.

" Tch, looks like trouble, but I guess we should be grateful for the fact that Hiroshi's presence alone managed to scare Miyako off. Now, I guess the odds are a little more even, even if we are still at a disadvantage," Mayuri sighed, preparing her hands to form her hand seals.

" Such overconfidence will get you killed!" Yuuko exclaimed. " Kouma!"

Kouma merely gave a depressed sigh, not before stomping his foot twice on the ground. " I wished to avoid using this, but I guess we have no choice in the matter. Capturing our target takes priority over my needs," Kouma replied, before walking up towards Suzumi and Mayuri.

Tremors could be felt beneath them, not before an arm came bursting out from the ground, reaching out into the heavens before dragging the rest of the body along with it. Mayuri and Suzumi looked in apprehension as the human body dragged itself out from the ground, completely made from stone, dressed in the typical Rock-nin attire. Several more popped out from the ground surrounding them, and just using a quick count, Mayuri estimated about 10 of them.

_Rock clones? No, something slightly different. This was the stone golem summoner the previous night. There is something about this jutsu which he used…damn, to be paired up against an earth ninjutsu specialist, he will be my weakness…_Mayrui thought to herself.

" Go do your stuff," Kouma commanded.

In an instant, all the rock clones leaped towards Mayuri and Suzumi.

-

" I'm not sure whether to classify you as overly brave or really foolish, considering you wish to cross swords with me with such amateur skills," the kunoichi replied, pointing her katana at Hayate, who could merely grin at her. " I'll show you how foolish you really are."

" Amuse me, kid!" Hayate taunted her.

A sudden sting on his arm brought his attention to a wound on his upper left arm, the cut mysteriously appearing right next to him. Hayate winced slightly from the pain. This kunoichi was very skilled at making invisible attacks, but he noted two flaws in her attacks. If her attacks were invisible and he was unable to see them, why did she bother just nicking him on his exterior limbs and not go instantly for the kill? It wasn't as if she couldn't do it, despite her advantage. The second flaw was she only attacked when he distracted himself.

" Interesting…I see now, a genjutsu based attack…" Hayate replied.

" Perceptive…" she answered. Not before disappearing from his sight and appearing right behind him, with Hayate sporting another slash on his back. " But still not quick enough to deduce where my attacks are coming from."

Hayate took up his sword and faced her, holding the katana by its sheath. The kunoichi reacted instantly, disappearing from sight once again. There was a blur of movement, not before there was a massive clash of steel grinding against steel. Sparks flew, and the kunoichi appeared right behind Hayate once again.

" You…!" the kunoichi exclaimed, sounding slightly annoyed as she turned to face him.

" It seems that in terms of sword drawing capabilities, I excel way faster than you do," Hayate replied.

" So, you could deduce where I was attacking?" the kunoichi asked.

" No, all I did was anticipate your attacks. You see, you need a certain range for this genjutsu of yours to stay unnoticed, so your attacks have a limited range, least I detect your movements. Seeing that, I have managed to deduce that your range of attack has to be at least 2 feet from me from what I have experienced so far. Thus, at that range, I can only think of 8 spots where you can attack from. All I did was merely draw my sword to counter that 8 areas," Hayate replied. " 8 consecutive slashes are a joke for me, really."

The kunoichi merely glared at him.

" With the clash of katanas, I did another two things," Hayate replied, pointing towards her.

At that exact moment, the kunoichi's katana snapped into 4 separate pieces, the metal blade falling to the ground, not before a slash wound appeared on her shoulder, blood spurting out slightly. The kunoichi looked at her broken sword and wound in an incredulous manner, not before looking back at Hayate, who looked very smug.

" Screw your genjutsu, my mind works way better than your dumb mind tricks," he replied, not before charging towards her.

-

Just before the stone clones attacked, Mayuri quickly formed her hands seals, clasping them together not before taking a deep breath and exhaling powerfully. Copious amounts of steam poured out from her mouth like a gushing fountain, not before enveloping herself and the rest in a thick smog of mist. As soon as she was well camouflaged inside her mist cocoon, she instantly headed towards where Suzumi previously was. Catching her by surprise, she silenced her quickly and motioned for her to follow her as quietly as possible.

Within the mist itself, they moved along. Mayuri quickly got hold of the rest of their comrades who were hurt, picking them up not before moving them aside. Suzumi figured this was a good move, since their enemies could easily distract them by attacking their invalid allies while they fought, not to mention they had superior numbers on their side. Mayuri quickly formed her hands seals, not before tapping on each one of them. Very slowly, the mist surrounding started to curl up on the bodies she touched, not before covering them in a shimmering cloud, before camouflaging the body to the ground where they were lying on. Unless they made any sudden movements, they were as good as gone from the battlefield.

" Well, that takes care of that," Mayuri replied. " Come, Suzumi, I need your help. I can't fight them all by myself." Suzumi merely nodded in agreement.

Forming her hand seals, Mayuri blasted a huge chunk of water out from her mouth. The blast of water struck an area were most of the rock clones were converging upon, where they were slowly stumbling along while trying to find them in the mist Mayuri created. The chunk of water exploded in a huge explosion, knocking them aside from the attack. The moment they were temporarily stunned, Mayuri leaped out of her hiding place, and slammed her foot on one of the stone clones that was lying on the ground.

The attack did nothing more than make a dull sound. The stomp had little effect on the stone clone, as it merely grab hold of her leg and hold her in place. Just as it did so, two clones shot out of nowhere at breakneck speed, not before slamming their fists into Mayuri's body, both of them piercing a hole through the front and the back of her body.

" Hey…is that how you treat a lady?" Mayuri replied, coughing out blood.

Her whole body suddenly dissolved into a mass of fluid, revealing herself to be only a water clone, the real body still hiding in the thick mist surrounding the area. Not only that, the stone clones started to smoke, as the water clone was made out of acid, which was caustic enough to burn through steel. Despite the potency of the acid, the stone clones were unharmed, their affected parts merely sizzling from the acid.

_These stone clones are unbelievable. That stomp was strong enough to destroy any normal rock, and my acid clone can burn through fortified steel. These stone clones are made up of some form of unknown material…_Mayuri thought darkly, observing from afar.

All of a sudden, a certain presence alerted her to danger, and almost instinctively she dove to the right jut as a massive metal spike came shooting out from the ground where she had previously stood upon. Once the metal spike protruded itself from the ground, several smaller, pin-like spikes shot out from the main one, forcing Mayuri to roll backwards to avoid injury.

" Damn, what the hell was that?" Mayuri snapped back.

The metal spike, as if made of fluid, suddenly dissolved back into the hole in which it came burrowing from. Mayuri pulled her legs back just as a massive circular saw whipped out from the ground below her. The male kid she saw just now popped up and made himself visible, not before extending his arms towards her. His arm suddenly turned into a dark, dull colour of grey, not before shooting out in the form of a spike. Mayuri ducked, not before realizing that he could still shoot out spike from his body.

However, instead of impaling her like when he previously tried, the metal spike suddenly changed itself to a long blade, not before swooping down towards Mayuri, aiming for her neck. Mayuri barely had any time for it, but she managed to execute a jutsu to save herself in time.

" Water Release: Great Revolving Barrier!" she exclaimed.

A large body of water surged out from below where she was, not before covering her in a circular body of water, which then started to spin in wild, circular motions. The instant the metal blade arm touched the sipping water barrier. It blew up in a powerful shockwave-like blast, and Mayuri clearing the area like a pro.

" That ability…a bloodline ability, no doubt, must be one of the many shape-shifting abilities available out there," Mayuri replied. The male kid merely glared at her. " Oh, I don't really fancy younger boys…they turn me off~"

Two stone clones closed their distance behind her, but Suzumi leaped into the fray, leaping up high and slamming a foot each onto each of their heads, not before performing a backflip and tossing a small capsule onto the stone clone's feet. The capsule shattered when it hit the ground, emitting a slippery looking white fluid. The stone clones stumbled and then went crashing to the ground.

" Nice save~" Mayuri cooed.

" We aren't exactly out of trouble yet. There are a bit too many people for use to handle alone," Suzumi replied, both of them now standing back-to-back to face their enemies.

-

Hiroshi groaned as he tried to pick himself up. The area where his puppet left arm was supposed to be attached to hurt like hell. It was going to be difficult to fight with one arm, but at least this time, Hiroshi had some experience in the matter. He quickly got up, not before looking towards the side where Miyako stood, trembling at the sight of him.

" Is this what you do for a living?" he asked.

" …I suppose so…" she replied, sobbing slightly.

" Why are you crying?" he asked.

" …Because…you scare me…" she answered.

Hiroshi wasn't sure how to respond to that question. Here he was, his puppet arm missing and slightly hurt from the hit, and she was still scared shitless even after easily disposing the rest of his comrades without a hitch. Hiroshi wondered if he was somehow dreaming.

" …Why…" Miyako asked, sobbing while she said it.

" Why what?" Hiroshi asked, sounding even more confused now.

" …Why'd you hesitate?" she replied.

Hiroshi wasn't sure how to answer that either. " No reason…" he answered tersely.

" Alright, that enough. I'm not sure how the hell you are scaring her, but you are doing one hell of a good job doing it," Kouma replied, walking up behind him, one on his hands on his hips as he spoke to Hiroshi. " I'll be your opponent for now. You don't want to bully 11 year old little girls, do you?"

" Who the hell is she?" Hiroshi demanded.

" She's…one of our special 'units'. We tend to use her when we wish to deal with our problem targets quickly. You could say that she is our ace in the hole," Kouma answered truthfully.

" Is this supposed to make me feel invincible then?" Hiroshi asked.

" Think of it as you like," Kouma answered.

Without waiting, Hiroshi flicked out two kunais. Kouma braced himself for the throw, but Hiroshi merely tossed them on the ground right in front of him, the two kunais bouncing several times before staying still on the forest floor. In an instant, he hopped on both kunais, making sure each foot covered each weapon. Initiating a back-flip all of a sudden, Hiroshi flicked his legs at Kouma, not before releasing the kunais that were stuck to his foot which he had attached there previously using chakra control, sending them flying towards Kouma.

" Such a lame trick won't work on me!" he exclaimed, as he didn't even bother dodging since Hiroshi threw them the kunais at him at such an odd angle it was obvious it would miss him entirely. " Why don't you try…"

He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Hiroshi's sandals fly towards him as well, the kunais proceeded by his footwear. When Hiroshi did the backflip, not only did he throw the kunais, but he flung his sandals at Kouma as well. His eyes widened when he saw the explosive notes sizzling within his sandals.

Kouma barely escaped the blast as the explosion went off, his body thrown aside at a odd angle, hitting the floor hard. Despite his body sizzling from the heat, he quickly got up like there was nothing wrong. _Damn, some technique of his…_Hiroshi thought, knowing that a trick like that would normally kill any normal shinobi. He obviously saw Kouma getting caught in the middle of the blast, but he emerged unscathed, despite being bruised and dirtied.

It didn't matter. Even if Kouma managed to escape the blast, it was only done so that Hiroshi could buy some time to prepare for his attack. He had a weapon scroll laid down in front of him. Biting his lip and forcing a cut, he spat on the open weapon scroll, not before stomping on the weapon scroll to send in chakra to summon out his weapon. Kouma merely watched as Hiroshi picked up the weapon that he summoned, leaning it on his shoulders.

It looked like a typical bokuto, except there was one big difference. The bokuto was covered entirely in what looked like explosive notes, and from the looks of it, there were like 20 explosive notes wrapped around it.

" Wait…crap! Hiroshi, don't think of a suicide attack!" Mayuri warned him, trying to stop him from doing anything silly.

Kouma snapped his fingers, and two stone clones instantly charged at him. Hiroshi didn't miss a beat. He slammed the bokuto into one of the stone clones. The clone exploded into tiny bits, as if it self-destructed itself. The rest of them looked in awe as Hiroshi stood before the demolished stone clone which was now reduced to rubble, not before spinning around and striking the second one using a straight trust into its chest, and it exploded in a similar fashion.

" Holy shit, what the hell was that?" Masaki exclaimed in excitement.

" Suicide? Hardly the case," Hiroshi replied, not before flicking his bokuto in circular motions, the bokuto now smoking slightly, and with careful observation, two of the explosive tags had now lost their markings on his weapon. " I didn't plan on pulling this prototype weapon out just yet, but considering that I only have one arm now, I guess this will have to suffice for now. All of you, say hello to my customized katana: Ash Saber."

_Writer's note: Ash Saber is a reference to Super Robot Wars. _

_And no, I didn't make a mistake when I wrote Mayuri saying that she doesn't fancy younger boys when Makoto IS younger than her.  
_


	21. Chapter 20: Grand Archangel Summoning

**Chapter 20: Grand Archangel Summoning**

" What the hell is that kind of weapon?" Kouma demanded.

" Come a little closer, I'll let you experience it up close," Hiroshi dared him.

However, instead of waiting for Kouma to respond to his taunt, Hiroshi ran away, jumping up a tree, not before glaring back at Yuuko, who had her hands in the form of seals. " I saw that coming. Try something harder next time," Hiroshi taunted. He flicked his sword towards Yuuko, and the area around her erupted in a large bang, sending chucks of rock and soil all over the place.

In a split second later, Kouma leaped towards him from behind, while he instructed two of his stone clones to attack him as well. Hiroshi was a bit wary of Kouma's ability to survive explosive notes head-on, so he decided to deal with his stone clones first. He threw himself towards the stone clones that leaped at him, swinging his weapon right at them, and they exploded upon contact with his Ash Saber. Hitting the ground, he moved himself as far as he could from Kouma, who was following him closely from behind.

Spinning around in a 180 degree turn, he then charged himself towards Kouma, not before thrusting his Ash Saber to strike Kouma on his chest. The resulting explosion sent Kouma's body hurtling back and slamming into a nearby tree, destroying it in an instant, but Kouma merely picked himself up, apparently unharmed by the attack.

_I didn't sense any form of chakra shielding being supplied by Yuuko. I thought his abilities were limited to creating stone golems…is there something up his sleeve? _Hiroshi thought to himself.

" Sorry, kid. I can take more than that," Kouma replied. " Listen up, it's obvious from the explosive notes on his weapon that it has a finite amount of uses. Considering that I can take his attacks, I'll deal with him. The rest of you focus on the two girls over there!"

The instant he finished his sentence, Hiroshi threw himself towards Kouma, his Ash Saber drawn back to prepare for a strike.

" Foolish! I'll take more than an exploding bokuto to take me down!" Kouma retorted, raising his arms to shield himself.

Hiroshi whipped his Ash Saber in a slashing motion. To Kouma's utter surprise, a slash wound suddenly opened up on his chest, and although the wound was not deep, Hiroshi somehow managed to land a strike on him.

" Never did I say this was a bokuto! I said this was my customized katana, and if I recall correctly, katanas cut !" Hiroshi exclaimed.

He drew his arm back, not before aiming for another strike, but the kunoichi who was armed with the katana slipped between them, parrying Hiroshi's strike with two kodachis. " …I see…Wind manipulation….that's where you get your sharpness…a nice combination…" she replied.

Hiroshi tilted his arm slightly, and after a slight sizzle, an explosion blew up in front of him, but he could sense that he somehow managed to miss his target. A second later, she came swooping in from behind, only to be interrupted by Hayate, who came in from nowhere to parry her attack.

" Heh, did you think you could conveniently forget about me?" Hayate chided her. The kunoichi merely did a couple of back-flips to gain some breathing space, not before whipping her hands in slashing motions. Recognising then for what they were, Hayate and Hiroshi leaped out of the way as invisible windbladed tore through where they previously stood.

" Kouma, deal with that puppeteer! We don't want him to go lose with his explosive weapon of his!" the kunoichi replied.

" You got it, Sakuya!" Kouma replied.

Kouma instantly moved towards Hiroshi's position. Hiroshi whipped his Ash Saber towards Kouma, but surprisingly, it didn't even lay a scratch on him this time. Kouma quickly grabbed Hiroshi by his neck, not before slamming him down on the ground. Raising his second arm, he was preparing to smash Hiroshi's head in when all of a sudden large coils of hair wrapped themselves around his arm, stopping him from delivering the final blow. Mayuri leaped out from behind him, not before landing on his shoulders.

" If we cannot destroy you, then perhaps we should drown you!" Mayuri replied.

Drawing in a deep breath, she started to spew out water in large amounts, submerging all three of them in a large globule of water. Hiroshi was a little worried that Mayuri might be drowning him as well, but was pleasantly surprised that she somehow managed to surround his head in a bubble, as well as hers.

" Tch, irritating pests!" the shape-shifting kid replied, slamming his hands on the ground.

" Heihachi, watch out!" Yuuko exclaimed.

Heihachi dodged as a cloud of poisonous looking gas came flying towards him. Several senbon needles flew out from the cloud of poison, and he blocked it quickly by turning his hand into a shield, blocking the attacks as the senbon needles bounced off his shield as if it was made of metal. A vial was suddenly thrown towards him, and upon smashing upon his 'shield', it started to corrode his arm.

" Crap!" Heihachi exclaimed, not before detaching a part of his arm off, the area where it had been doused in some potent acid. The small part came off like a large drop of honey, hitting the floor before dissolving into nothingness. Returning his attention towards Suzumi, he saw that she was running towards him at full speed. He fired out more spikes from his arm, striking her neatly in the middle of her chest, only to explode in a cloud of poison gas, and to emerge from the gas cloud while continuing her assault.

Heihachi prepared to shoot out several more spikes from his body, but Suzumi raised one of her hands towards her face in the form of a seal, before closing her eyes and focusing on her chakra. Heihachi sent out more spikes towards her, not before sensing a weird sensation taking over his body. The spikes mysteriously missed her body, despite having quite an accurate target acquirement earlier.

" Genjutsu?" Heihachi muttered.

Suzumi was close enough now, and she flicked out several senbon needles from her hands, not before preparing to sink them into his neck. Multiple spikes protruded from his body, only to find them passing through Suzumi's body as if they were made of nothing. Suzumi's body continued forward, not before slamming her senbon needles into his neck. Heihachi avoided them at the last second, but she still managed to strike the lower end of his neck, although the wound was non-fatal.

Suzumi leaped up high as one of the stone clones threw several kunai at her. Normal people she could deal with, but she was unable to cast a genjutsu on a piece of solid moving rock, unlike a normal human. The stone clones were a bit troublesome for her to deal with, not to mention except for her explosive notes which did not work, she lacked any form of firepower to deal with them.

" Tch! Expanding barrier technique!" Yuuko exclaimed.

The water globule Mayuri used to submerge Kouma suddenly expended and burst like a huge bubble, washing all the water away, while breaking Kouma free, although he didn't seem to be having difficulty holding his breath as of yet. He broke out of Mayuri's grip, some of his stone clones helping by attempting to attack her, forcing her to break grip using her hair on him. Hiroshi smashed through the stone clones, his explosions not dampened by the water.

Kouma instantly rushed at him, his hand ready to grab him again. Hiroshi set off another explosion, not to attack, but to propel him aside to put a lot of distance between himself and Kouma. Kouma still continued, his movement speed close enough to rival Sora's. Just as Hiroshi's feet hit the ground, he braced himself, not before raising his Ash Saber above his head, pointing the tip of the sword towards Kouma, who was heading towards his direction.

" First Seal: Unleash!" Hiroshi exclaimed.

The Ash Saber suddenly lit up in flames, the fire licking against the katana. Hiroshi could feel the heat of the blade scorching his hands, but he paid no heed to it. Kouma seemed confident in taking whatever Hiroshi wished to dish out to him, as he sped up his advance, ever so close to Hiroshi now.

" Ash Saber Special Technique: Flame of the Requiem!" Hiroshi shouted, not before thrusting his katana in a single, strong thrust towards Kouma.

Kouma didn't even need to reach him. He merely exploded in a fiery blast, as if his body was suddenly ignited by 10 explosive notes. Still, it merely stalled him slightly, and as the flames and smoke died down, he could still be seen unharmed, only slightly charred on the outside, but having sustained no serious injuries or burns. His Ash Saber's explosive notes now had lost all their seals, now rendered non-explosive.

" Son of a…" Hiroshi cursed.

" Hah, see, I can deal with him easily. Miyako, why the hell are you so afraid of this bastard? Come and join in the fun!" Kouma urged her on. Miyako, who was still quivering on the spot where she previously stood, merely shook her head wildly. " Why? You aren't making this easy, you know…"

" …Because…he's not even the real Hiroshi…" Miyako stammered.

" What?" Sakuya snapped.

There was a ripping sound, something akin to someone ripping loads and loads of paper, and the sound was amplified multiple times till it was cracking one's eardrums. At a nearby tree, one could see it being torn apart, like a person ripping apart a wallpaper, coming out in the form of zipper. A figure of Hiroshi emerged from the hiding spot, not before whipping out a puppet arm and attaching it to his left arm slot, a whirling sound signifying he had managed to attach his puppet arm successfully.

" Guess the jig is up, but I've managed to fix my arm in time," Hiroshi replied, while the puppet that looked like him cluttered on the ground, having served its purpose. He pulled out a scroll, a green one marked with a black cross, not before presenting it to them. " Back off, or else I shall unleash the grand fury as to why I am called the Azure Forest."

" Why don't you try us?" Yuuko asked.

" Fine…Suzumi, Mayuri, Hayate! 30 seconds starting now!" Hiroshi exclaimed.

All of them understood what he meant, and they moved into position just as their enemies attempted to attack Hiroshi to stop him from completing what he was setting out to finish. Mayuri skidded in front of him, not before forming her hand seals as quickly as possible. Suzumi could feel the immediate build-up of raw, potent chakra in her body, ready to be unleashed.

" Water release: Grand Tsunami Technique!"

Mayuri instantly fired out a large body of water, which formed a massive tidal wave, standing 100 feet tall. The body of water was sent crashing towards their enemy's direction, knocking most of them, including the stone clones away. Yuuko and Miyako managed to back off and seek refuge in a couple of tree which were tall enough, while the others managed to burst out from the water, struggling to keep afloat.

" Secret Arts Technique: Garden of the Azure Forest!" Hiroshi exclaimed.

As he rolled out his scroll, he bit his lip and spat some blood on the scroll, summoning his weapons. All of a sudden, thousands of weapons scattered themselves all over the place, forming a field of weapons. Swords, kunais, mallets, spikes, windmill shurikens, and the sorts. All weapons possible were located here before them, and Hiroshi had them all under his disposal. However, his technique looked funny. Mayuri noted some items which were not weapons, namely long metal poles, screws and bolts and metal frames in weird shapes.

" I thought your famed Azure forest used only weapons. What's with the extra junk?" Mayuri exclaimed.

" That is one of my techniques: Blades of the Azure Forest, which summons a set of weapons for me to use. My Garden of the Azure Forest is different, as it does not summon a set of weapons for me to use," Hiroshi answered.

Suzumi was confused by his words. " Hiroshi, if it does not summon weapons, what exactly did you just bring out?" Suzumi asked.

" Suzumi, even before, you have not seen my technique as of yet. Behold, for this is my ultimate trump card!" Hiroshi exclaimed. " Azure Forest Secret Technique: Grand Archangel Summoning!"

Flaps opened up on his left arm, and a hundred chakra strings shot out from the inside of his puppet arm frame. They started to attach themselves to a myriad of items on the field, from katanas, screws, metal frames and wind-mill shurikens. The rest of them could only look in awe as the pieces suddenly converged together, all of a sudden forming into one large collective ball. However, the ball of weapons started to take shape. Four joints started to emerge, not before forming what could be described as rudimentary hands and feet.

The mass of weapons began to take the shape of a body. Weapons big and small started to fly towards this body as if it was a magnet, attaching themselves as if by will onto the mass. The arms and legs started to take a defined shape, not before the middle area began to fix itself. Through this process, Hiroshi allowed himself to be taken up inside of it, being swallowed into the mass, as if he was part of a piece as well. The head took shape as well, and before long, what stood before them was a 20 feet tall humanoid statue of sorts, made purely out of weapons. The entire body was made out of blades and spikes of every nature, formed from kunais, circular razors, swords and shurikens, so coming close to this statue would be a painful experience. The entire body was pulsating, as in razor blades and spikes were rotating and spinning all over the body, promising to tear anything it touches apart. Despite being made out of a mass of weapons, there was still a whole load of weapons scattered on the ground all over the place.

Once the body was formed, two red jewels flew up from the ground, not before attaching themselves on the head to form what could be described accurately as its eyes. As soon as they were attached, they started to glow brightly, like an ominous beast, ready to feast. The statue suddenly moved, taking a stance like it was preparing to beat the shit out of something.

" The Garden of the Azure Forest summons me a puppet," Hiroshi's voice replied from within. " Say hello to Archangel…"

" Fucking cool!" Masaki exclaimed.

" Azure Forest: Devastating Rain!"

Archangel stomped its foot hard on the ground, not before sending a hundred weapons that still surrounded the area into the sky. Waving its hand forward, the hundred weapons shot towards their target at breakneck speed, smashing through trees and rock alike. Their enemies dodge and ducked for cover, while the stone clones merely got peppered with weapons.

Archangel leaped towards the first stone clone, grabbing it up in its sharp, painful fingers, not before squeezing it tight. The combined might of the rotating and spinning weapons on its body shattered it to pieces, turning the stone clone into a pile of dust. Several more leaped at him, but the Archangel detached its right arm, not before sending the multiple weapons that make up its form break apart and skewer the stone clones. The multiple weapons lying on the ground next to it were suddenly, as if by magic, sucked them up towards it, not before forming a brand new arm.

" This is unbelievable…Hiroshi is really kickass~!" Mayuri cooed.

Moving with an alarming speed considering its size, the Archangel grabbed hold of Kouma in a vice-like grip using both its arms, not before squeezing Kouma in its sharp fingers. The blades started to rotate violently, and Kouma was induced to what felt like a massive grinder. Kouma tried to free himself, but it was to no avail. Sparks flew out from his body as the razors started to grind against his body, exploding akin to something like a fireworks show.

_Damn…even after such force, he can still withstand this kind of damage…_Hiroshi thought.

However, while he was distracted by attempting to grind Kouma, Heihachi all of a sudden sneaked up behind him, not before forming his hands into flexible spikes, sending them through his body. Since he could contort his body as he liked, the spikes shot through the Archangel's entire body, multiple spikes emerging from all over the place. The Archangel seemed to stall for a bit, not before something that looked suspiciously like blood started dripping from its chest.

" Hiroshi!" Mayuri and Suzumi exclaimed in alarm.

" Heh, gotcha!" Heihachi snickered.

A figure burst out from the ground in front of where Heihachi stood, not before slamming a short blade onto his upper chest. Heihachi managed to alter his body to a metallic form on his chest just before it struck, but the blade managed to pierce him slightly, and the person who attacked him merely smiled back at him.

" Why you…" Heihachi stammered.

" No, it's me who has got you…I'm a puppeteer, trickery is second nature to me…" Hiroshi replied, smiling. " Ash Saber: Miniaturised version! Set!"

Heihachi stole a glance at the blade that was stuck on his chest, only to notice that there were several explosive notes wrapped around its handle. Hiroshi gave him a swift kick and the explosion erupted, knocking him clean off. His upper chest was severely wounded, but thanks to his shapeshifting ability, he somehow managed to avoid death.

Kouma broke through one of the Archangel's fingers, not before escaping from the puppet's clutches as Hiroshi was slightly distracted in attacking Heihachi. " Well, looks like we lost the advantage…again. I suppose it was our fault to begin with. I guess the puppeteer of the leaf isn't someone we can really trifle with, huh?" he replied smugly. " How about we make it out of here?"

Yuuko merely looked very displeased, but she was mostly glaring at Miyako, who was still too afraid to make any moves. Hiroshi had no idea what was up with the girl, but he wasn't in the mood to press for it.

" Fine, we are leaving…" Yuuko replied, clasping her hands together. All of a sudden, the five of their attackers suddenly vanished, as if they dissolved into thin air. _That technique again…_Mayuri thought.

" Hiroshi, are you okay?" Suzumi asked.

" I'm fine. I didn't sustain any injuries," Hiroshi replied, his breathing slightly hard and sharp, having evidently used up a lot of his energy stores. Controlling a puppet of Archangel's size and type was no such easy feat, not to mention having to minutely control over a hundred weapons at one go. " Come on, we need to fix up our friends and get the hell out of here."

" I agree to that. Mayuri, I think we can safely take them out now," Suzumi replied.

" Okay~…Hey, both of you, help me carry them!" Mayuri snapped at Masaki and Mai, who came running over to help.

As Suzumi and Hiroshi went to help, they passed Hayate, who was keeping his weapon. Hiroshi stopped just as he was about to pass him, and he merely looked up at Hiroshi innocently.

" …Is something the matter?" Hayate asked.

Hiroshi reached out and drew out his katana, not before taking notice of a chip on the blade. " You broke it slightly," Hiroshi replied, not before sheathing the sword and drawing the entire thing from Hayate's waist. " Lend it to me for a bit to fix it up."

-

" Well, your arrival was timely, I must say. Do you actually rehearse this shit often? I seem to notice you do this often," Makoto said as Hiroshi was carefully bandaging his wounds. " You would have saved us a lot of trouble if you could, you know, come on time."

Makoto winced slightly as Mayuri nudged him in his ribs using her foot. " Hey, I think an appreciation is in order, right~?" she replied.

" It's okay, sarcasm is my usual form of thanks," Hiroshi answered politely.

Hiroshi and Suzumi were busy treating the rest of their wounded friends, who thankfully didn't suffer anything life threatening with immediate treatment. Suzumi had managed to administer first aid before hand, so their conditions were stabilized. Both Hiroshi and Suzumi were now busy dealing with their problematic injuries, but Hiroshi was quite relieved that none of them had been seriously incapacitated.

" You guys sure must suck if a kid could beat you all," Suzumi replied jokingly. " Does this mean Hiroshi is the best amongst you all?"

" No…" Everyone curtly replied.

" Damn it…" Hiroshi muttered to himself.

" Still, what kind of abilities did that kid have? It felt like I was almost fighting a supernatural being," Ryouta replied.

" I have the answer for that, but first, we need to address a very important issue here," Sora replied, tightening the bandages on her arms.

" And what is that?" Hibiki asked.

Sora turned to Hiroshi, not before looking at him angrily and asked " Since when did you alter your right arm to become a puppet arm?"


	22. Chapter 21: Inner Depths

**Chapter 21: Inner Depths**

" …What are you…?"

" Don't play dumb with me, and don't lie. I've know you long enough to understand you inside out," Sora replied, folding her arms. " Show us your right arm, or I am going to break it to prove I am right. Make your choice."

Hiroshi realized that he didn't have much of a choice when Sora was serious. Sighing loudly, he clenched his right arm, only to have it open up compartments like a puppet arm, the inside hollow with a metal frame inside, with several seals stamped upon it.

" Damn it, when did you switch it?!" Ryouta exclaimed.

" Whoa, don't get angry now. Look, there was this mission where I lost my arm…"

" Again?!" Makoto and Hibiki exclaimed.

" You just like getting your arm cut, don't you?" Ryouta replied, scowling slightly.

" Hey, I take offense to that," Hiroshi replied.

" When did you lose your arm? Would it actually kill you for telling us about it?" Sora replied. Hiroshi kept quiet. " Hiroshi?"

" …I…can't tell…" Hiroshi replied.

" What?!" Ryouta and Sora snapped.

" Hold it, don't misunderstand. It's not like I didn't want to tell you all, it was that I was instructed not to tell you. I lost my arm because of an accident, but revealing the reason and where I did that would put people in serious danger. In fact, nobody is supposed to know I lost it, unless we want to risk war with another country," Hiroshi replied quietly. He hung his head slightly in shame, looking apologetically at the rest of his friends.

Sora merely slapped her palm of her hand on her face. " Man, shit happens to you a lot, huh?" she replied.

" Alright, we are sorry. Didn't mean to doubt you in that fashion. We won't press on the matter. I'm sure it troubled you to no end," Ryouta apologised.

" You don't need to say sorry," Hiroshi answered.

" Oh, but I think I do need to," Ryouta replied.

" Heh, guess Hiroshi is always up and running with a new trick or two," Makoto replied. " But before we run any more jokes on the subject…Sora, you said you understood Miyako's abilities. I'm not sure what I got from my trashing, but let's hear what you have to say."

Sora thought for a while, as if she needed to collect her thoughts, not before taking in a deep breath and exhaling loudly. Despite her hot-headed, rash nature, Sora was the best amongst them in analysing unknown jutsus, and she had the uncanny knack of finding out.

" Alright, I'm not sure if you noticed this, but the blue spirals in Miyako's eyes are not for show. No doubt this must be one of the very rare few doujutus available abroad," Sora replied. " Perhaps Hiroshi or Suzumi can explain in a little more detail in the chakra functions in a doujutsu."

" …Urm, well…the basic premise of a doujutsu is a genetic mutation to the chakra lines in our eyes. Ours eyes are very sensitive organs, and any form of extreme stress of damage will cause you to go blind, and pending the damage to the nerves, blindness can be either temporary or permanent. Our vision as shinobis is usually enhanced, due to the fact we do a lot of chakra training. However, we are limited to what we can do due to the amount of chakra lines in our eyes. Chakra lines in our eyes number the least. A good example would be to compare the number of chakra points on our hand and in our eyes. Not including the major areas, if you even count the ninor ones, our index finger has a grand total of 150 chakra lines, while our eyes only have 20 or so," Suzumi explained.

" Theoretically, it is possible for us to overload our eyes with chakra, but with the lack if chakra lines to hold the chakra in place, we'd be screwing with our eyesight," Hiroshi continued. " The basic premise for doujutsus is a genetic mutation that allows multiple chakra lines to flow into the eyes. Instead of the usual 20 or so lines, the amount of chakra lines, or points, in a doujutsu user can number as much as 500."

" Let's take our Hyuuga clan, famed for their famous Byakugan doujutsu," Hiroshi continued. " The massive amount of chakra channels in their eyes allows them to see minute detail in chakra flow, and granting them their X-ray vision, allowing them to learn the 'Gentle Fist' technique. This is because their eyes have a genetic mutation to withstand that effect. In theory, if you over load your eyes with chakra, you would be able to use their X-ray vision, but because you do not have sufficient chakra channels in your eyes, your chakra will burn out your sensitive tissues in your eyeballs, causing you to go blind after a while."

Hibiki whistled quietly to himself as Hiroshi explained about doujutsus.

" So, we can deduce that Miyako was a doujutsu user?" Mayuri asked.

" Perhaps, but in a sense, I do not think we can consider her a real doujutsu user," Sora replied.

" Eh?"

" True, when she attacked, she only did so when her eyes were glowing blue. However, there was an interesting aspect in her attacks," Sora replied. " …She was able to neutralize each and every jutsu we threw at her."

Ryouta suddenly realized that what Sora was saying is true, and he wondered if he was arriving at the same conclusion as she was.

" To do that, one has to either know the jutsu is going to be used before hand. The only way to do this is if the jutsu has been used before, and the opponent has prior knowledge in either a previous fight or something. But what Miyako did was different," Sora replied. " Even before she attacked me, she already knew what the heck I was going to pull off. She knew what kind of attack I was making, what kind of cancellation jutsu to use, and when exactly she needed to pull it off."

" …She can read attacks?" Hiroshi asked.

" …This sounds somewhat familiar," Hibiki mused.

" No. To be more exact, I don't think she can read attacks, but she can analyse jutsus at a very fast rate, or her brain is wired in such a way that she can take in enormous amounts of information, and then calculate them quickly in her brain," Sora replied. " When she managed to beat the crap out of us, she was giving her percentage chances on her victory chances against us. What she was doing was calculating the probability of her beating the crap out of us. Her bloodline ability is not her eyes that allows her to read our moves, but her brain which allows her to analyse things at insane speeds."

" …The Azure Foxes…" Makoto mused.

" Excuse me?" Hibiki snapped.

" The Azure Foxes. They were a small clan of people, who were not particularly shinobis, but they had this uncanny ability to read people's movements, and their brains could analyse things almost 100 times faster than normal. They had a particular doujutsu, but their bloodline ability was in their brain, where they can process things at a rapid rate. People deemed them dangerous, so even if they were not shinobis, this clan was destroyed for merely having this ability," Makoto explained.

Hiroshi figured this matched what Miyako told him about her clan's annihilation.

" The thing I don't get is why did Miyako got scared shitless when she saw Hiroshi? I don't mean it as an insult, but how is his combat capabilities any more different than the rest of us, besides using puppets?" Mayuri asked.

" Ah, the crux of the discussion," Sora replied. " Now, Hiroshi, I am going to ask you to quickly take out one of the many weapons stored in the weapon sealing compartment in your left arm. Just select one, but don't take it out yet."

" Okay," Hiroshi replied, not sure where this was going.

" Now, I want everyone to guess what weapon Hiroshi is going to take out, as fast as you can answer," Sora replied. " If you cannot guess what weapon, tell me what kind of weapon."

" …Bladed weapon," Makoto replied.

" …Something that can be thrown," Mayuri replied.

" ….Shurikens?" Hibiki guessed.

" Windmill shurikens," Suzumi replied.

" Two weapons at the very least," Ryouta answered.

" The exact answer is two windmill shurikens, with detachable single-sided blades," Sora answered smugly. " Am I right, Hiroshi?"

Hiroshi nodded his head. " Yeah you are right…wait, are you saying Miyako got scared shitless because she doesn't know what weapons I can pull out, and the only reason why you can guess what weapon I chose is because you know me well enough?" Hiroshi exclaimed.

" In a sense. Now see, when executing taijutsus and ninjutsu, you can see the change in muscles and hand seals, and chakra flow. These are the readable things in a fight between us. When Hibiki and I spar, we can read each other's movements by checking out how our legs bend, which muscles contracts in that split second. Whatever we do not see, we then react according to instinct," Sora explained.

" I understand now. Since Miyako's ability allowed her to take in minute details of her opponent, whatever move she makes is a calculated move because she can see where it was going. She could counter all of us because her brain can analyse our attacks so fast, she knows exactly what to see. However, this builds up a very, very large flaw in her combat style," Sora replied.

" And that is?" Suzumi asked.

" Instinct," Sora answered. " Instinct is an almost basic, but never fully appreciated skill we have honed over the years. Our ability to sense the unknown is what allows us to survive in fights. Miyako has no sense of instinct, for the fact that her analytical ability makes her complacent enough to think that she can hold her own ground using analysis alone."

" So, what makes me any different?" Hiroshi asked.

" A fight with a puppeteer, a skilled and proficient one, that is, is pretty much a instinctive fight. Puppeteers use traps, quick attacks, tricks and underhand tactics, poison and hidden weapons, all to gain an advantage over a fight. A fight with you, I have to rely entirely on pure instinct to win. This is what makes puppeteers the most difficult opponents to fight, because they are hard to read," Sora explained.

" So, you are saying that because her ability gives her a lack of instinct, she…couldn't read my attacks?" Hiroshi asked.

" In a sense. Miyako could fight us because she was confident she could anticipate our attacks before they came. Like when Ryouta activated his signature technique, she knew that his hands would start flaming, and when he fired a breath of fire at her, from the movement of his hands and the feeling of his chakra, she knew exactly when he was going to attack and how," Sora replied. " You, on the other hand, are different. I know for a fact that you have at least 100 different types of weapons kept in your left puppet arm weapon compartment, alone. You have a grand total of 172 different types of swords, 12 types of shurikens, 23 types of kunais, 3 types of senbon needles, 67 miscellaneous weapons, and including your Ash Saber, you currently have 6 customised weapons. Miyako cannot read that, for the fact that you have so much unknown quantities about you, and she only fights when she knows what to expect. If I have to honestly say, if you pulled out that Ash Saber technique on me without prior warning, I'd expect a 50% chance that I might get seriously injured by the first attack. Miyako would have not stood a chance against you."

" …Oh…wow," Hiroshi could only muse.

" Hahaha, doesn't this mean Hiroshi is awesome?" Suzumi laughed happily.

" He sure is…" Hayate replied.

All of them turned to Hayate, who was standing behind Hiroshi, along with Mai and Masaki. He apparently allowed himself into the conversation, and the rest of them looked at him awkwardly.

" Oh, don't mind me, do continue," he replied with a grin on his face.

" Hayate, you dolt. You were obviously butting in," Mai reprimanded him.

Hiroshi flung the katana he borrowed to Hayate back to him, and he caught it deftly. " Fixed it already. Try to be careful with that, alright?" Hiroshi replied.

" Heh, I shall…" Hayate answered.

" You were pretty proficient with that katana," Hiroshi replied.

" I didn't claim I was not. I only said my skills were limited," Hayate answered.

" We should get some rest, before moving. We don't want them to catch up to us again. The Land of Metal is not far now, and we will need to move through the area quickly if we are to avoid detection," Ryouta replied. " 2 hours break. If we can move by then, then we will get out of here quickly."

All of them nodded in agreement, and those who had been injured quickly fell asleep to recouperate from their wounds. Hiroshi looked at Suzumi, who was now rummaging her equipment bag which he had given her, re-organising her equipment. His mind lingered on the fact that she could guess that he was about to take out windmill shurikens, and if Sora's theory was correct, does this mean she was still 'familiar' with him?

-

" …Are we there yet?" Sora asked.

" You were just waiting to say that, weren't you?" Hiroshi replied, his expression full of defeat.

" Tee hee hee…it was boring without you, you know," Sora replied.

Summoning the his spare puppets, Hiroshi carefully carried the rest of his injured comrades using his puppets as they continued along their destination. So far, not trouble as of yet, but if they were to be ambushed now and again, they would be literally screwed. Hiroshis limitations on his ability to use puppets was that he had a finite amount of weapons. Unless he could restock them somewhere, or scavenge off dead or defeated shinobis, all his jutsus have a limit. He had one last Azure Forest scroll left, and after that was used up, he'd run out of trump cards for a while, powerful ones, at the very least.

" Should we camp?" Mayuri suggested.

" I suppose we should. Hiroshi is exhausted, and there is no point in wasting our energies to move so little. We should rest fully for the night and we should be able to recover most of our strength tomorrow. Resting now would be a good idea," Ryouta replied.

" The only problem would be to carefully hide ourselves now. If we are found out, we would be literally screwed," Makoto replied.

" Perhaps I can cast a genjutsu to keep us hidden from our enemies?" Suzumi replied.

" But the only one who can cast a genjutsu effectively to hide us is only you," Hibiki replied, getting off the puppet, his face contorting slightly in pain from his wounds, which he had sustained mostly from last night. " We obviously cannot let you keep us hidden the whole night."

" Well, we don't exactly have to do it all night," Hiroshi replied. " It's around 4-5 pm now. If Suzumi takes a break now, we can take turns until midnight, where she can then cast a genjutsu to last until morning, if she has enough stamina."

_Which I highly suspect she does…_Hiroshi added, but only saying it to himself.

" Sounds reasonable," she answered.

Hiroshi performed a few hand seals, not before slamming his hands on the ground. The ground beneath him gave way, and all of a sudden, an opening appeared, leading to a small, underground room. Nothing overly elaborate, just an piece of space underground.

" It's a little too open up here. We should hide underground and hope nothing finds us," Hiroshi replied.

" Go get some rest first," Mayuri replied. " We'll keep watch."

" Don't mind if I do," Suzumi replied, going to the corner of the underground room and curling up herself by the corner.

" I'll need some rest as well," Hiroshi replied, slowly setting the rest of his friends down before resealing his puppets. " I'll wake up later to make use some dinner."

Taking his place by the corner of the room as well, opposite of where Suzumi was now soundly sleeping, Hiroshi closed his eyes and dosed off. The moment he did that, he felt his entire body being sucked into a tunnel, not before finding himself in a very grand house, which looked weirdly familiar.

" Like it? I'm not sure whether the details are correct, but I kinda like it. Feels very much like 'home'," Aya replied. She was walking around casually in what looked like the living room that was overlooking a majestic garden, full of colourful plants and trees, with butterflies flying around. She sat herself down in front of a coffee table, taking up space on one of the chairs, not before sipping some green tea. " Hmm, refreshing…I like it, just like the way you used to brew it…if I can recall correctly…"

It suddenly hit him that he was in Suzumi's mansion, but with a large number of modifications. The basic structure was the same, but most of the touch-up and furniture looked brand new and posh, and the garden wasn't as exotic as Hiroshi remembered, and such a tropical garden would never survive the harsh desert climate. Figuring the remaining seat was for him, Hiroshi quietly took his seat.

" Drink up, and tell me how is the taste," Aya urged him on teasingly.

Hiroshi took his cup, blowing slightly to cool it a little, not before taking a sip. " …Surprisingly refreshing, I think…" Hiroshi replied.

" …The only problem with an illusion is that it is only an illusion. The taste may be there, but no matter how many cups of tea I drink, or how much food I eat, I can only taste it, but never fill up. Also, the knowledge that this is merely an illusion will just tell me that I will never fully enjoy it," Aya replied.

However, Hiroshi thought it was impressive. Even though he knew he wasn't exactly drinking 'tea', the fact that it tasted exactly like tea was amazing. He had never seen such an elaborate genjutsu before. It was like Aya had crafted a world of her own, inside Suzumi's brain.

" However, I am bored," Aya mused.

" Why is that? You certainly had time to make up this place, surely you can imagine of other things to create," Hiroshi rebuked.

" Creating things does not sate me. Man, Suzumi hasn't even killed anyone yet, and I'm getting…impatient. Killing people is like a drug to me. Haven't experienced a high for a while now," Aya answered. She looked curiously at Hiroshi, who was merely appraising her. " You look like you have questions. Go ahead, I'm bored anyway…"

" …Do you know…"

" Nagato Yuuko and Nagato Ahika…no, I've never heard of them in my entire life," Aya answered.

_So, even the old Suzumi didn't know who they were. But…why do I sense that they are strangely related? Hibiki stated that the Nagato surname would end with Suzumi, period…so who are these people claiming to be relatives? No doubt they share a same genetic trait as in having the same coloured eyes, but…is there more than meets the eye?_ Hiroshi thought.

" …What do you think about them then?" Hiroshi asked.

" Oh, they are related, very obvious. Their potency in genjutsu is similar to mine, no doubt we are related," Aya answered.

" I see…no, wait…" Hiroshi snapped, realizing something wrong. " Aya, you come from a family of puppeteers. You said you had no talent in it, so you went against your parents' wishes and learned medical jutsus and genjutsu instead!"

" …No, I come from a family of genjutsu specialists," Aya corrected him.

" But…but…you told me you came from a long line of puppeteers!?" Hiroshi exclaimed, on his feet now.

" If I did, and I do not recall this somehow, you are mistaken. The puppetry thing is a farce, nothing more than a cover up that we are genjutsu specialists. In fact, our abilities are so potent, I actually possess some form of bloodline ability," Aya answered coolly. " The fact that these fools use genjutsu at the same level of power as mine only shows that they are related to me, by blood. I just don't know, or never met these fools before."

Hiroshi was suddenly hit by the new information, and it struck him that it all suddenly made sense, somewhat. Assuming that what Aya said was correct, and Hiroshi had a strange gut feeling that it was, then the Nagato household possessed some genjutsu ability that was hereditary. If puppetry was used as a farce, then it would prove that their ability was so potent that it was deemed too dangerous even by their village standards, and kept as a secret forever. Then Hibiki's theory on that people in his own village was involved in the assault would hold water, as they would have prior knowledge, and possibly wanted to tap into this unknown power, most likely for personal gain. Yuuko and Akiha might be family members who were either banished, or recruited into this little plan. Due to the fact that all of them thought Suzumi came from a line of well established puppeteers, they all assume her family members would be puppeteers, not genjutsu specialists.

This posed some questions however. Hiroshi has never heard of the Sand village ever having a clan, or people with bloodline abilities, or anyone really, who had potent genjutsu abilities. The only countries with potent genjutsu skills were from his village, namely the now defunct Uchiha clan, and the Mist-nin shinobis, who were experts in genjutsu and silent killing. There was no record of him ever reading anything outstanding in genjutsu from that village. The next big question was her memory: again, why split it in half, creating two distinct personalities? Hiroshi really could not phantom why it happened. He had an initial theory that Suzumi did this to hide information from her attackers during the night where they assaulted her house, but this was blown to bits when Yuuko implied that they were responsible for it.

" Thinking a little too hard, are we?" Aya cooed.

" I'm just confused at the way things work," Hiroshi sighed.


	23. Chapter 22: The Lancer and the Fang

**Chapter 22: The Lancer and the Fang**

" Oh, you are up?" a voice called.

Ryouta opened his sleepy eyes and looked around the place. They were still in the underground room Hiroshi formed the previous day. Rubbing away his sleepiness, he tried to get up, only to find that he body was unmistakably very refreshed, and despite his still healing injuries, Ryouta felt almost revilatised. Stretching his hands and moving his fingers, he didn't feel that many aches and pains in his muscles.

" I apologise if I was a little to presuming, but while most of you were sleeping, I casted a genjutsu on the surrounding area to allow the rest of you to sleep better," Suzumi replied. " It's helpful to get good rest, even if we don't really have the time for it."

" Seriously, I don't really want to complain about it," Ryouta replied, feeling very refreshed. He took a quick look around to see who was up. Almost all of them were resting, except for Suzumi who was maintaining the genjutsu barrier, along with Hiroshi, who was busy preparing breakfast, and Hayate, who was quietly waiting by the corner of the room, his katana propped to his side. From the looks of it, he didn't get much sleep last night, or didn't want to.

" *Yawn*…hmm, I feel strangely refreshed…" Sora noted when she woke up, yawning loudly and making a fuss about it.

" Thank Suzumi for that," Ryouta answered.

" S'that so?" Sora replied, still slightly sleepy so her words were slurring a little. " …Thanks much…"

" Hahaha, I didn't do much," Suzumi replied.

Hiroshi tossed a couple of piping hot bun towards Sora. " Here, eat up, I made your share first," Hiroshi replied, and Sora received it in a manner of a child receiving her first Christmas present for the first time. Hiroshi passed to the rest of them a tray filled with the newly made buns. " I'll be making a second batch soon, so I guess you all can start with these first."

Sora chomped loudly on her buns, while Ryouta and Hayate moved forward to take their share. The bun was well-made, filled with whole grain and very filling despite its size. Hiroshi had managed to put some sweet red bean filling inside for extra kicks, and all of them enjoyed their breakfast immensely.

" …Is it breakfast time?" Hibiki asked, waking up. The mostly sealed up underground room did not have any outlet for the smell of baked bread to seep out from, except the exit which was partially closed by twigs and leaves, so most of the smell started to fill up the underground room, and it smelt heavenly, enough to slowly wake the rest of the other members.

" Yippe~! Breakfast time~!" Mayuri exclaimed excitedly, as she pounced on the tray, mindful enough to get some buns for Makoto as well.

" Hmm, you managed to get some good ingredients," Ryouta commented.

" It was the time when we got separated," Hiroshi replied, taking the second batch of buns, and taking a few for himself personally first because he knew they will be finished before he knows it. " Managed to get some ingredients for our journey, so with any luck, we should be sustained on some good food for a while, assuming I'm still stuck with the rest of you."

" We shall keep you close~!" Both Sora and Mayuri replied creepily.

" …Shit, when did you rehearse to do that kind of stuff?" Hiroshi asked, backing away slightly, not before reaching for the pot in which he was boiling something. " Here, drink up: boiled milk with honey and eggs. Should keep you all on your toes for the rest of the day."

He served the rest of them the beverage, and Sora and Mayuri drank their shares quickly, not patient enough to wait to taste the drink. " More~!" both of them exclaimed, tossing their cups back at him, which he needed to catch.

" Stop it now. I am getting rather annoyed…" Hiroshi replied.

" Bah, can't take a joke early in the morning, can you?" Sora replied roguishly.

" …Who the hell is the chef here?" Hiroshi replied, frowning now.

" …My, your buns taste mighty delicious…" Sora replied.

" How patronizing," Hiroshi muttered while the rest of them laughed.

-

" Right, I've checked. Most of your injuries are still lingering, especially Hibiki and Sora's, but it won't hamper our travelling speed as long as we don't exert ourselves. I think if we do travel, breaks between hours are essential," Hiroshi replied, after checking the rest his comrade's injuries.

" I second that. Can't risk reopening wounds," Suzumi replied.

" Bah, we are fine. Don't worry about us. I've got more lives than a phoenix," Sora bragged.

" Are we packed?" Mai asked.

" Mostly. I think we've cleared most of our stuff now," Masaki replied, who mostly helped with the packing.

" Alright, now let's…."

" Wait!" Suzumi cried all of a sudden.

Everyone froze in their tracks, wondering what was up. Suzumi had a look of worry on her face, as if she was unsure of something.

" Makoto, can you…check our surroundings?" she asked.

Makoto understood immediately what Suzumi was worried about, and he clapped his hands together not before focusing his chakra to his ears. His ears started to pick up sounds from far away, but even as he widened his radar search, his ears could not pick up anything in the vicinity.

" …I cannot pick up anything. Did you sense something?" Makoto asked.

" …I thought I did from my genjutsu barrier, but I cannot be sure," Suzumi replied.

Hiroshi headed quickly towards the underground room's exit, not before feeling someone grab his arm. " What do you think you are doing?" Sora demanded.

" None of you are in any position to fight. I'll go and check," Hiroshi replied.

" Better be careful," Ryouta warned him.

" Don't worry, I'll be careful," Hiroshi replied.

Exiting the room carefully, Hiroshi pulled himself outside, taking a quick look around. Nothing was visible within the vicinity. Hiroshi extracted himself from the ground, his eyes darting about. Nothing dangerous could be seen within his eyesight range.

" The coast is clear…least for now," Hiroshi whispered.

The rest of them quickly got out of the underground room, and once that was done, Hiroshi sealed it back up so it looked like no room ever existed there before, not before all of them started to move, running off towards their original path. Their movement speed was still hampered by their injuries, but tried their best not to slow down.

" Still think we are being followed?" Ryouta asked.

" No, not really anymore. Perhaps…"

Makoto didn't managed to finish his sentence. He buckled suddenly, crashing onto the ground not before grabbing his ears, as if trying to block out a sound. " Fuckers…shit…" he gasped in pain.

" What is it?!" Sora exclaimed in alarm.

" Someone's emitting a sonic wave into Makoto's eardrums. Makoto's eardrums are overly sensitive to sound, so they are screwing with his hearing!" Mayuri exclaimed, realizing what it was.

Before Hiroshi could react, several figures jumped out from behind their hiding places around them. Moving into position, all of them started to slam small sticks into the ground, which them started to cackle with chakra energy. Hiroshi and Suzumi's eyes widened when they realized what purpose they served.

" Shit! Split up!" Hiroshi exclaimed.

They were too late. As soon as the sticks were put in place, a massive red barrier was suddenly erected all around them in a circumference. Sora and Mayuri slammed into the barrier as they were about to make a break for it, unable to escape it before it activated. The rest of them merely glared at the shinobis surrounding them, unable to escape now. Hiroshi rushed towards the edge of the barrier, not before placing his hands on it. _This barrier…you got to be shitting me…_Hiroshi thought to himself.

" Tch, you again!" Sora snapped. " What, trying for third time lucky?"

All of them turned to look at where Sora was addressing her words to. Yuuko merely shot her a smug grin as she stood with her hands on her hips at the exterior of the barrier. Sora ran towards her, not before slamming her fists on the barrier. It wobbled a little, but it did nothing besides hurt Sora's fists.

" No good. I've add a little improvements to my barriers. Your fists will do little than hurt yourself in the process," Yuuko taunted her. " Well, looks like one rat managed to escape from the cage."

Hibiki merely non-chalantly drew out his spears, gripping it tightly in his hand. Just as Yuuko set up the barrier, Hibiki managed to dive just in time to escape it, and he was now standing on the exterior of the barrier. The rest of the shinobis who had set up the barrier now braced themselves for an attack. Hibiki merely scanned his surroundings, knowing that pitting himself against 6 people will be very tricky, even if it is to merely defend himself.

" Looks like I am placed in a disadvantageous situation," Hibiki replied. " Well, well, well, who shall I carve up first?"

" Hibiki, don't!" Makoto exclaimed. " You still haven't recovered fully from your wounds, and amongst all of us, you've had it the worst. Just distract them for a while until we figure a way out of this barrier."

" Heh, don't kid me, Makoto. I've going to have a hell of a lot of effort thrown my way if I hold back. I don't think I wish to restrain myself either," Hibiki replied, his eyes twinkling slightly in delight. Twirling his spear in his hand, he gripped it tightly not before pointing it rudely at Yuuko. " Alright, you little bitch, this little baby is going right up your ass!"

" Supersonic Dash Strike!"

All of a sudden, Sora flung herself towards one side of the barrier, leaping at it in an instant. Using the force of her spring, she landed herself on the barrier, standing horizontally on the barrier, her legs crouched like a spring, ready to fire at any given notice. All at once, she sprung, and with a resounding crash, she sent herself flying through the barrier, breaking it by sheer willpower and force, propelling herself through the barrier.

" Holy shit!" Hiroshi exclaimed.

" Tch, this is one hell of a tough barrier," Sora replied, looking behind, to still see the barrier intact. " I see…it's actually multiple barriers over-lapping each other, and each will recover over an area if one breaks. I only managed to break out because I destroyed an area and shot out at supersonic speed."

" …Damn it, you'll just get in my way. Don't slow me down, okay?" Hibiki replied.

" Hmph, I'm here to watch out for your ass, you little prick. You are more likely to get us killed, so I am here to make sure you don't get into too much trouble," Sora replied.

" Watch out for my ass? It's your ass, more specifically, your bum, which needs watching out for, considering that it's even bigger than mine," Hibiki replied, clicking his tongue.

" …Urm, do they always do this?" Suzumi asked.

" If you ask me, this has got to be one of the worst pairings. They are going to end up screwing each other up," Mayuri replied, sighing.

Hiroshi pressed his hands on the barrier, channeling his chakra into it to analyse the synchorisation ratio and chakra output of the barrier. " Suzumi, help me analyse this thing. If we can break out of this, we can help Sora and Hibiki," Hiroshi urged.

" Don't bother. It's not like she can remember how to do it anyway," Yuuko replied.

" …What do you mean?" Hiroshi asked, pausing in his task and glaring at Yuuko angrily.

" I meant what I said. She should be able to remember how to break this barrier. After all, I sealed that knowledge in that brain of hers," Yuuko answered.

Hiroshi furiously slammed his fist angrily towards Yuuko's direction, his hands doing nothing more than make a dull thud. " So it was YOU who did this shit to her!?" Hiroshi exclaimed.

" I don't get this. What have I, or my parents done to deserve this?!" Suzumi exclaimed loudly.

" Hmph, ignorance is a bliss, huh?" Yuuko mused, with a tone of dejection in her voice.

" Huh? …I don't know what you are talking about," Suzumi replied.

" See, that's what I am talking about. There is no need to explain everything to you. After all, you shall only serve us when we are done with you," Yuuko replied.

" Yo man, correct me if I am wrong, but did she say that she was the one who screwed up with Suzumi's mind?" Sora asked, pointing her finger rudely towards Yuuko.

" Yes, she did. Were you deaf?" Makoto asked.

However, Hiroshi realised that Sora was being sarcastic on purpose. She cracked her hands and stretched her muscles, not before adopting an icy glare towards Yuuko. Hibiki also gave a similar vibe, although he looked slightly move sinister than Sora did. Both of them glared with cold, icy demenours at Yuuko, who merely looked apprehensive at their reaction.

" You know, I can take a lot of types of shit. You can hit me, spit on me, cuss me, fuck around with me, and I can take that and forgive you, you know?" Sora replied, her voice oddly cracked and dry. " But…but really…this shit really cuts the cake…"

" …Screwing around with Suzumi's brain, huh? You must be that bitch I saw that night when it happened," Hibiki growled dangerously. It was very obvious both these shinobis were emitting a potent amount of killing intent, so badly that even Hiroshi felt afraid even though the killing intent wasn't directed towards him. " Yo, Sora, what say we tear this idiots apart?!"

" Hell yes! Once we are done with this dipshits, they will reralise how lukewarm hell really is!" Sora howled. " 3 minutes, you little piece of shit! That's all the time I am willing to cooperate with you!"

" Rend and tear!" Hibiki howled.

Flicking out Hime from his back, Hibiki charged a ridiculous amount of chakra to his weapon. He flung it towards one of the enemy shinobis, the force of his throw could be only described as a massive, relentless explosive missile attack. The force of the hit, added with the drilling momentum Hime built when it was thrown, smashed a shinobis head clean off, the drilling effect grinding the person's skull into a bloody pulp, the head gone in a flash of crimson blood. Not to be outdone, Sora dashed towards another target, slamming her hand towards one of the shinobi's face. The force of the hit was so strong, and swift, that she tore his head clean off, not before exploding it with a sonic boom that was emitted from her hand. All that took a span of 2 seconds.

All of them there, enemies and allies alike, could only watched in shock horror at their brutality.

" Oh…he's dead?" Sora mused, as if just realising that she had just killed a guy.

" Damn, I was careless. I was supposed to slowly kill him," Hibiki mused as well.

Both of them burst out cackling like a bunch of hyenas, as if enjoying the kill. There was a mad glint of bloodlust and excitement in their eyes, and they were clearly enjoying this moment.

Sora moved first, kicking one of the shinobis towards Hibiki, the force of the attack which sent him flying broke his back as well. Hibiki whipped back both his spears, not before stabbing them both in the poor guy's chest as he came flying towards him, as if he were pinning something on the wall. He gave the guy a quick boot to kick him off, and Hiroshi could clearly see that both of them missed his vitals so that he would die a slow and agonising death.

The other two shinobis tried to react, but both Hibiki and Sora were moving so fast it was as though there were on crack. Hibiki flung Hime towards one of them, piercing him in his stomach. Like a pinned bug on a line, he yanked him back, flinging him towards Sora, who shot a sonic blast from her mouth, blowing a gapping hole in his stomach. Hibiki yanked Hime free, not before flinging it and pinning another shinobi like he did previously. Once again, he swung the person violently towards Sora, only to have her blast the ppor guy in half, leaving his remains sprawled on the ground.

" You…you got to be shitting me…" Yuuko gasped.

" Fucking hell, that didn't even take a minute," Sora replied, licking off the blood on her hands. She destroyed the shinobis in such a way that each time she blew them up or cut the apart, they would spray her with their crimson blood. From the looks of it, she looked like she was enjoying herself. " I am just so ridiculously over the top…"

Yuuko flinched slightly, but Hibiki and Sora were on her case the moment they noticed her flinching, both of them pinning her onto the barrier she had created. It was obvious that he defeat was coming, and there was a look of terror in her eyes when she looked at Hibiki and Sora glaring leeringly at her.

" …You wanna do it?" Sora asked.

" No thanks, don't want to get dirty. I'll still get to enjoy the show though, so no real complaints," Hibiki replied.

" Don't mind if I do," Sora replied, raising her hand.

" Stop!" Suzumi exclaimed.

" Don't bother, Suzumi. I'm not going to stop…"

" I said, STOP IT!" Suzumi bellowed in a voice that was not her own.

Makoto stumbled backwards, his ear bleeding slightly from the enormous boom from Suzumi's voice. The rest of them inside the barrier winced as their ears hurt from the shout. Naturally, with Makoto enhancing his hearing abilities, he was bound to suffer more than the rest. All of them looked in mix awe and shock as Suzumi seemed to turn into a completely different person. Long gone was that sweet, innocent look, which was no replaced by a depraved, sinister façade. Her eyes were glwoing bloody crimson, and it seemed to emit some form of hate and rage that was scaring them shitless.

" …Suzumi?" Mayuri whimpered at the sight of her changing her appearance in such a fashion.

" My name is Nagato Aya. Stay your hand, Sora, I have a few questions to ask that fool," Aya proclaimed, not before tearing the barrier apart with her bare hands and exiting it as if it was made of plastic.


	24. Chapter 23: Crimson Wrath

**Chapter 23: Crimson Wrath**

" …Looks like it works, somewhat," Yuuko moaned.

" From the looks of it, it seems you had planned on doing this shit like creating me," Aya replied, carrying a haughty attitude along as she spoke. She snapped her fingers, and the rest of the barrier wards ceased to function, as if they were powered by her willpower. " Interesting, very interesting. Now, you will have to explain to me why you did this to me."

" …Wow, this is beyond…"

Aya's arm swooped in and grabbed Yuuko from Sora's grasp, as if she was a young kid stealing candy from a kid smaller than her. Yuuko choked as Aya started to crush her windpipe, holding her up while having Yuuko's feet hanging in the air, a feat that Suzumi would not likely be able to pull off normally.

" Suzumi…what the hell is wrong with Suzumi?!" Mayuri exclaimed. " It's like she has gone nuts!"

" Hush, quiet there, little girl. I am not Suzumi. This body may be Suzumi's, but the personality is not. My name is Nagato Aya, and you shall refer me as such," Aya spoke in a deep, commanding tone. She tightened her grip on Yuuko's neck, not before slamming her onto a tree. " Now, I have some questions to ask, and you will answer."

Hiroshi wasn't sure why, but apparently the Aya personality managed to take over Suzumi's personality for the meantime. Hiroshi had no idea how she did that, but he figured this was probably what Yuuko had been aiming for in the first place. Creating two personalities from a single entity.

" Aya, wait, you don't have to…"

The moment he opened his mouth, Hiroshi felt dizzy all of a sudden, as if his brain was suddenly soaked up massive amounts of alcohol. He staggered for a bit, not before falling to the ground in a spectacular manner, his head spinning painfully now. Aya had done nothing beyond raising her hand.

" Quiet, dear, I have some interrogation to do," Ayay whispered dangerously, not before leaning towards Yuuko. " Explain. What are your motives for creating me?"

" …I…"

" I can sense that you were attempting to lie. Do not test me. I have very little patience. Tell me what I want to know. You have only one chance at this," Aya whispered again, her voice dripping with venom, while Yuuko merely gripped her vice-like hand on her neck, trying loosen the grip but to no avail. " …Go on…"

" …You were merely a test subject…you…you knew of your bloodline capabilities, did you not?" Yuuko gasped.

" Of course I was aware. So what?" Aya asked.

" The thing about the Nagato bloodline was that it…needed some pre-requisite to activate the bloodlines full potential. It was by splitting one's memories and creating a dual personality using an existing personality. But…most of the techniques had been sealed and kept hidden…your father was responsible for it…" Yuuko answered, gagging slightly.

" Oh, was he?" Aya asked sarcastically. " Why?"

" It was deemed dangerous, and even the village elders agreed. Ever since the founding of the village, the secret was kept to never allow the Nagato bloodline to access its full abilities. Your father was a strong advocate to support this movement, and he even took full responsibility in sealing the final development of the bloodline ability away so that it would never be used again," Yuuko answered.

Hiroshi was still groggy from whatever it was that Aya had hit him with, and Hibiki and Mayuri helped him to his feet. From the sound of it and the tone of voice Yuuko was using, it sounded like Aya was using some form of strong hynotism on Yuuko to get her answers.

" …Who are you then? What is your relation to me?" Aya asked.

" …There were people who were opposed to this course of plan your father suggested, mostly the members of the clan. In a single night, with the Kazekage's permission, he executed all the remaining members of the Nagato clan who disagreed with his policies, which meant everyone except his family. I was…I was one of the few survivors whom my parents managed to hide me abroad before the incident," Yuuko replied.

" …You are my cousin, are you not?" Ayay asked laconically.

" Yes…"

" How many more?"

" 3…"

" Why go through all of this?"

" Much of the….ugh…" Yuuko replied, not before pausing, as if trying to resist the effects of the genjutsu. Ayay merely cocked her head a smiled, and Yuuko's eyes seemed to lose focus a little before she continued speaking. " Much of the techniques was sealed by your father permanently, so we had to run…a trial-and-error technique. Our bloodline limit was special, as it had to be activated before hand to use it."

" …You mean giving me this split personality?" Aya asked cooly.

" Yes, from what we could collect from whatever reference scrolls we had managed to scavenge, we figured out that to activate our bloodline…ability, we needed to split our memories into two, creating two conscious personalities from the same person. We had…no idea why…"Yuuko answered.

" So, I was merely a guinea pig to you all?" Aya asked, sounding dangerous now.

" …Yes…."

" Who is behind this? Why bother with our abilities?" Aya asked.

" …Some of the higher echelons who think that the current Sand policies are too soft…a reform is needed, but they will need some powerful force to compel the rest of the village to bend to its will. This is why…our bloodline is sought after, as a bargaining chip," Yuuko replied.

Aya gripped her neck harder, and Yuuko winced in pain, although the genjutsu being cast upon her did not disappear despite the physical pain she was suffering from. " …Explain yourself. Are you suggesting that 4 rogue, unknown shinobis can serve as a bargaining chip to let some geezers take over? Tell me how is this feasibly possible?"

" …This is why the power was sealed by your father. At the height of our clan's influence, we were a forced to be reckoned with, as in the past, we would subdue villages with our bloodline might. The Black Disaster was caused by our clan, and it was under your grandfather's insistence that they rewrite that history. The Black Disaster was only halted by a rival clan, the Uchiha, and when the founding of the five main villages of the world started, our clan's abilities were sealed to prevent the Black Disaster from happening again," Yuuko answered.

There was a slight pause.

" …What is this Black Disaster she speaks of?" Aya asked, turning back to the rest of them all of a sudden.

" You don't remember?" Makoto asked.

" No, Suzumi does, but this means I don't," Aya replied.

" I still don't…"

" Makoto, just answer her quickly. We will sort things out later when we have the time," Hiroshi told him urgently. Makoto looked a little confused at what Hiroshi was trying to imply, but he merely followed his suggestion.

" The Black Disaster was a time almost more than a hundred years ago, even before the founding of our villages, where a collection of small clans rioted in our country. Chaos started to spread all around our country, and for years, there were a lot of problems with the economy and security, and a few good years passed before we managed to settle the civil war down. The part about the Uchiha having a hand in this is unheard of," Makoto replied.

" History…was rewritten. The sole cause of the Black Disaster was due to our clan, and it was due to the Uchiha interference that we actually lost," Yuuko replied.

" I don't mean to burst your bubble, but you are saying that the Nagato clan, which only had a previous record of only 50 members at its height, managed to go up against a combined might of the other shinobi clans at that time, which would number at probably 5000 strong, for 5 long years, and winning?! That…doesn't even sound logical," Mayuri interjected.

" That was the extent of our power," Yuuko answered.

" Yeah, right…what did you do? Look at people and they drop dead?" Hibiki asked, scoffing slightly.

" You know, funny you should say that," Aya mused.

Lifting her high up so that Yuuko's feet was dangling over the ground, she held her in place and tightened her grip on Yuuko. Yuuko struggled slightly, not before coughing out blood from her mouth. The rest of them stared in horror as Yuuko started kicking wildly as blood seeped out from her ears, nose and eyes. Soon enough, she was vomiting blood out from her mouth, and several seconds later, her struggles ceased, and soon enough her corpse hung limp in Aya's hands.

" That…was highly refreshing!" Aya answered, a smug look on her face. Mai screamed loudly in terror, only to have Hayate and Masaki cover her mouth to keep her quiet.

" What the hell did you just do?!" Ryouta exclaimed in alarm.

" A very potent genjutsu. I merely induced her brain to send out destructive signals into her body, so that the cells in her internal organs would pump out all the enzymes, lysozymes and acids to disintegrate her body from the inside. That's all," Aya replied.

" …That's…kinda cool…" Sora noted.

" Thank you, it's hard to find people who will appreciate the art to utterly destroying people," Aya replied laughing.

" …Shit, someone please explain what the fuck is going on here…" Ryouta groaned.

" Okay, listen up," Hiroshi exclaimed, directing his words to the rest of his friends. " I know this is going to sound crazy, but hear me out. What she said just now was not wrong. During the assault that night when Suzumi 'supposedly' lost her memories, what they did then was actually to split Suzumi's memories into two, creating two separate personalities with the shared memories of Suzumi before. You know how Suzumi seemed to have selective amnesia? That's because this personality, the one called Aya, has the other half. She knows all about us, and the experiences we had together, although she has no idea that Mayuri exists."

The rest of them looked at him, and Hiroshi wondered if he was making things more confusing.

" The reason why I don't seemed too startled with this fact is because the Aya personality has been hiding deep inside of Suzumi's sub-consciousness. She…contacts me occasionally through a genjutsu induced dream, so we have been talking for a while. I didn't tell you all this sooner because I wasn't particularly sure how to break the news, or how to explain this properly," Hiroshi replied.

Ryouta groaned loudly and sat down on the ground, covering his hands on his face. " God damn it, someone punch me and tell me I am dreaming," Ryouta exclaimed, not before turning to Sora who was in the process of moving towards him " …And I meant that metaphorically, so don't get any ideas."

" Well, this is indeed surprising," Mayuri replied. " She reminds me entirely of Suzumi we used to know, and her knowledge of genjutsu can be compared to Suzumi's level. Attitude-wise, perhaps vastly different. She makes Sora look tame in comparison."

" The thing is why did they want to split her personality?" Hibiki asked.

" Yuuko did mention that it was a pre-requisite to activate her abilities. How this works is apparently beyond her, so that was why they decided to test on Suzumi," Ryouta answered.

" …What is her bloodline ability anyway?" Masaki interjected.

" It's a genjutsu based bloodline ability. What specifically, I don't know," Aya answered, still in possession of Suzumi's body.

" How'd you know that?" Sora asked.

" My father told me once in passing, but he didn't look like he wanted to talk about it much, so I didn't really ask for it then," Aya answered.

Over the last half an hour, Aya had been explaining to the rest of them her explanations on the events that had transpired, and the rest of them were in discussion about what it all meant and what steps they should actually take. Most of them were still clearly confused at what exactly was going on right now, so nobody was voicing out any firm suggestions or orders.

" Damn it, I knew it! Some of our higher echelons knew about the Nagato's bloodline, and were planning on using it," Hibiki replied, kicking the floor occasionally. " God damn son of a bitches! When I get my hands on these bastards, I am going to make them pay in blood!"

" …The thing is: who? Who wanted it? I suppose it must be someone with enough political clout to pull such strings…but this might mean that one of our own lords are involved in this mess," Makoto replied, thinking deeply.

" …I hate to say this, but I may be able to think of a few of them," Mayuri replied.

" Nothing much we can do here. It's not like we are able to get back to our village now anyway," Makoto replied. " …I think we need to continue with our journey. The faster we finish this, the quicker we can get back."

" Excellent…" Aya replied.

" …Urm, are you going to stay in that body or are you going to let Suzumi back?" Hiroshi asked.

" Of course I am staying here. I've been stuck in Suzumi's brain for a while now. It feels like freedom controlling the body now. I'm not going to be stuck back there," Aya replied. " ..What, you prefer Suzumi's company?" Hiroshi wasn't sure whether he should answer such a loaded question or not.

" So, what next?" Mayuri asked.

They continued on their journey, hoping to gain some ground from the slight delay. Ryouta was pretty much pushing them to the limits, getting little or almost no rest for most of the day, travelling for the most part of the journey. It was imperative that they made good progress, so they tried not to complain.

Sora was surprisingly in a very good mood. During travel, she had managed to get into an excited conversation with Aya, and both of them were chatting amicably between them. Hiroshi was glad, since Aya would most likely do something crazy if she was not entertained all the time, but the topics they were discussing were not entirely pleasant to listen to.

" …Yes, no doubt, but the attack will be too quick. Sufficient for a killing blow, but it will be too quick," Sora replied.

" Well, variations can be made. The problem with this kind of attack is that even with the slight variation, it still can kill pretty quickly. High accuracy is need to deal precisely the damage needed, but there is a lot of pressure points, and there is a huge margin for error," Aya answered.

" True, but for it to be effective, it's imperative such a brute force method be applied," Sora replied.

" Is it just me, or has Sora been having the time of her life from a discussion of how to kill people painfully for the last few hours?" Mayuri asked.

" Ah well, it's a unhealthy obsession, but least it keeps her occupied," Ryouta joked.

" I'm tired…can we take a break?"Mai asked.

" I suppose we should. Let's set up camp here," Ryouta replied.

All of them stopped their advance and started to set up camp at a nearby river. Hiroshi was quite glad about the break, since his muscles were aching slightly at this point. As he was checking his equipment, he noticed that Aya had popped right in front of him, looking at him with puppy-like eyes, as if anticipating something amazing. Hiroshi wasn't sure what he was supposed to give her, but then he realized that it was kinda late, which meant he had a task to do.

" Yes, yes, I'll go get dinner now," he muttered, while Aya merely clapped her hands happily, a gleeful smile on her face. Hiroshi headed off towards the river, procuring some fish with Hibiki and Mayuri's help, not before preparing dinner.

They had roasted fish, along with some roots and local fruits for dinner, which Hiroshi seasoned with some of the spices he found. Aya was eating her meals as voraciously as Mayuri and Sora was, so despite the lack of conversations, dinner that night was a fairly noisy one.

" We should be close to the border of the country of Steel now. With any luck, we should be able to traverse it tomorrow if it comes to it," Ryouta said, checking a map after they were done with dinner. Hibiki had already gone off to sleep after eating, with Masaki and Mai poking him to make sure he really was asleep. " I think the best way to travel through these parts would be to split up into pairs, and head in different directions. We don't want to attract too much attention to ourselves in moving in such a large group."

" Sounds reasonable," Mayuri replied. " How are we sorting the pairings?"

" …I'll think about it, and I'll let you all know tomorrow," Ryouta replied, keeping back his map.

Makoto didn't show it but he was slightly concerned with Ryouta's apprehension. He was usually quick in forming their team formations, but this would have to be a first where he actually had to ask for some time to contemplate upon it. Makoto was curious, but he figured it would probably be a bad idea to press upon the subject.

" The watches are as per usual," Ryouta replied, while Makoto went off to sit by himself to keep the first watch. The rest of them broke off and went to get some sleep. Ryouta sat himself down next to a tree, propping his back onto the trunk not before closing his eyes.

Only to open them a moment later, fully awake and in a totally different surrounding.

He jumped to his feet, slightly alarmed. He was back in his home village, or what looked like his home village. The Hokage monument was at the background where the mountain cliff was, and he could recognize some of the buildings and shops, but most of the buildings and structures were wrongly placed. People were moving along in the streets, completely oblivious to him. Looking upwards, he noticed the full moon in the sky, before suddenly feeling something odd run through his body.

_Wait, is it midnight already? No…that's not it…this feels like a dream…yet it feels so real…_Ryouta told himself.

" Are you confused?" a very familiar voice asked.

He spun around, only to see Maya, the rogue shinobi who used to chase after him and his team, standing behind him. Nobody else seemed to notice her as well, and she merely smiled roguishly at him.

" …Why are you here?" he asked.

She spoke to him, but her lips carried no voice, yet from the movement of her lips, Ryouta could understand everything she said. He pressed his palms against this ears, but the words still managed to pierce him, despite him not wanting to hear it.

" No, shut up! SHUT UP!" Ryouta howled in agony.

_Writer's note: My apologies for the insanely long break I took without prior notice. Things crop up, which made me unable to update my stories for while. However, I've managed to sort out things, so updates will continue as per usual. _


	25. Chapter 24: Dream Eater

**Chapter 24: Dream Eater**

She had no idea where she was. Seeing Hibiki and Sora brutally tearing up their opponents made something inside of her swell, and it reached a point where she couldn't feel anything anymore. There was rage, excitement, lust, agony, love and sheer bliss. The swell of emotions made her sick, and she was about to explode from all the crazy sensations when all of a sudden, she couldn't feel anything anymore.

Suzumi took a look around her, only to find herself in a blank space. Pure, untainted darkness spread across the entire area, as if she had been locked inside a large, dark room with no trace of light. She was standing, yet she didn't seem to be touching solid ground. She tried exploring the area, but after what felt like hours, she gave up, still stuck in this weird place.

In time, she felt hungry, but there was nothing to eat. She tried to take a nap, hoping maybe that by sleeping, she might wake up from this weird dream. Instead, when she did wake up again, she found herself back in her own house. At the dining table was a generous portion of food prepared for her. She sat down and ate the food, her eyes watering slightly from the sheer taste and delicious aroma that was assaulting her taste buds.

" Where exactly am I?" she mused to herself after she was well-fed.

She tried to make sense of the weird and crazy world she was in. After eating, she exited her house, only to find herself in a busy street that was not from the Sand village. Randomly entering one of the buildings, she ended up in a large, spacious hall that didn't seem to fit with the size of the building from the outside. The hall was filled with what looked like mannequins, standing in ordered rows. She took a tentative step into the hall, not before realization managed to hit her. The mannequins looked familiar to her. There were many different mannequins, all of different sizes, almost as if a whole bunch of human replicas were located in this room. They didn't have much facial expressions, but to Suzumi, she felt like she had met them before.

All of a sudden, their bodies exploded from their chests in a large geyser of blood and gore, their insides soft and warm like humans despite being mere dolls. The warm stench of human entrails splashed themselves onto Suzumi, and despite almost wanting to cry out in shock, she didn't. Covered in guts and dripping with blood from head to toe, she finally realized who these people were.

They were mannequins whom she had met before in life and had passed on. A large number of them consisted of people whom she have failed to save through medical treatment, but she spotted some other shinobis from her village, some of them whom she knew, some of them who she did not. A number of them were not shinobis, but she somehow remembered meeting before, either in passing or briefly. The only thing they had in common between all these puppets was that they were all dead now.

She tentatively walked through the hall, only to come upon the odd pair of mannequins, since both these mannequins were holding hands. It was a male and female pair, both of them joined by their hands. Both their faces were torn apart, yet Suzumi knew that these were the mannequins representing her parents. No faces were needed, both of them were obviously her parents. She wasn't sure if she should be angry or sad, since she couldn't even remember how they looked like.

The mannequins that were located right behind her caught her attention. Once again, they were a male and female pair, the male slumped on the floor, while the female one was kneeling on the ground, resting the male's head on her lap, while wrapping her hands gently around his neck. These two mannequins were the only ones in the room which were not damaged or destroyed. On top of the male mannequin's chest were the words 'eternal' written on it in large, big, blood-red letters.

Kneeling down to give a closer inspection, she noticed that the female mannequin was in fact her. It had the same size and shape as her body, not to mention it was dressed as what she was wearing right now. The male, however, was unknown to her. Try as she might, this mannequin was the only one in the hall so far which she could not recognize. She didn't know if this person was dead or alive.

" …You don't recognize him?" a voice asked.

She spun around in fright, only to see the figure of her standing behind her. This figure of Suzumi was ghost-like, looking ethereal and pale, not to mention glowing slightly. Several more figures popped up, all floating around her body. Suzumi could count 20 of them, although a number of them would randomly disappear and some would replace them moments later.

" He is the most important thing in your life…do you not recognize him?" the ghost-like figure of Suzumi asked again. Suzumi merely shook her head. " You should. After all, I am you, you are me, and this is us."

Suzumi figured she knew where she was now. Her conscious mind was now no doubt stuck in her brain, trapped in some wrapped and bizarre dream sequence. No, that wasn't right. She was trapped in her inner conscience. Suzumi was now exploring her own thoughts, inner, personal feelings. It all felt so familiar despite being so foreign to her.

" Who is he?" Suzumi asked.

" …If you do not know, then would you expect me to know?" one of the figures replied.

" Questions are useless in this space. I am you, and you are me. Any question I can answer, so can you, and vice versa," another figure replied.

" The question now is: what can you really answer?" another figure whispered.

" What do you really know?" one directly behind her spoke, causing her to spin around in response.

" I…don't know…I don't know anything…" she replied.

" Do you want to know?" another asked.

" Know what?" Suzumi asked.

" Everything…" the initial figure spoke to her.

" …What do you want me to know?" Suzumi asked.

" What you should already know," the figure spoke, not before floating out of the hall. Suzumi quickly followed her out, finding herself on the streets outside again. It was then when she noticed something strange again.

One part of the place she was in was daytime, where she was standing, while another part was night time. Looking at the sky, it seemed like the sky was split in to, one side having the sun while the moon was visible on the night side. It was truly a wacky sense of sight, since she wasn't sure how this would even work normally. The ghostly figure of herself slowly floated towards the night side, and she followed.

As if passing through a barrier, the entire area dimmed from the lack of light, and she found herself stuck in the same place, except it was nighttime now. Following the figure into a similar hall, she found herself looking at mannequins once more, all of them scattered in the hall. This time, there were less of them, and she could recognize all of them once more.

" These…are people whom I have killed before…" Suzumi replied.

" Indeed…" the figure replied.

" What…is this?" Suzumi asked.

" This is you…" the figure replied. " This place is the personification of yourself. They say dreams tell you a lot about yourself. This world here is created by you, or more specifically, your sub-consciousness. It tells you of who you are, what you are, and what you are thinking. If you look hard enough, you will find things you sometimes forget which were once so important."

" But…this…"

" A split personality," another voice answered.

Suzumi almost jumped when the figure was now replaced by herself, except not quite this time. This Suzumi looked very malicious, with a wicked grin stuck to her face, and her glowing red eyes glinting at her. Suzumi took several steps backwards in fright, as the figure merely smiled at her with a crazy look in her eyes.

" Hello, Suzumi…" the figure called out to her. " Like my place?"

" Your place?"

" Yes…this isn't your place. This is my world. The sunny side is your side, the darker side is mine," she replied. " I suppose you do not know who I am. I am Aya, your split personality. Yuuki made us. You are not the Suzumi you really are. We are two different entities from the original host. To be more exact, both of us are the original. Understand my drift?"

" Urm…what is this?" Suzumi asked.

" This? This is called the Dream Eater. It's a high level genjutsu that allows you to pierce the consciousness of the human mind and see what they are really thinking. In a sense, this can be called the true sense of a human being. What you are now seeing is the world of Nagato Suzumi," Aya explained.

" And…why are you doing this?" Suzumi asked.

" Me? Suzumi, you are the one who is activating this technique. You are using the Dream Eater on yourself," Aya replied. " Your subconsciousness panicked when you were stuck in that dark area, so you made this area. You activated this Dream Eater. You know what's cool about this technique? You can read other people's thoughts as well. Don't you like to see what the other's are thinking?"

" I'd be…intruding into their privacy," Suzumi noted.

" True, but you are curious. See?" Aya replied, pointing to a spot behind Suzumi.

Turning around, she suddenly found herself looking at a very large door that appeared out of thin air. It was a typical sliding door, with random symbols she couldn't make head or tails of. Trying to turn to ask Aya what this all meant, she suddenly found herself alone in the spot, the nighttime looking very daunting now. Deciding she had nothing to lose, she slid the door open and entered the room.

Which lead her into an empty room. However, Suzumi somehow got the gist of how this technique worked, and she closed her eyes and thought of someone. Another sliding door materialized in front of her, with the words Mazaki Kazuki written on it. He slid the door open to enter, only to pause when she noticed the name wasn't right.

" …? Strange…didn't I think about Sato Ryouta?...I didn't get his name wrong, did I?" Suzumi spoke to herself. " Or is this his real name? Or an alias?"

Bracing herself, she pulled the door apart and entered. She came out of a shop lot in the busy streets of Konoha, the illusionary people milling about doing their daily chores. Apparently Ryouta likes to think of home. Barring the importance of his home village, Suzumi thought it was weird that Ryouta would think of his home village. Was it something important to him? What was it that he found appealing about this place? There was a pleasant, vigorous feeling in the air that confirmed her theory, and once she took a deep breath.

All of a sudden, day suddenly wrapped itself into night, and the sudden change of light disorientated her all of a sudden. People were now rushing about, and through the crowd, Ryouta suddenly materilised himself in front of her. From the looks, apparently he could not see her, and he looked visibly confused as to where he was. To her shock, it suddenly dawned on her that using her Dream Eater ability not only allowed her consciousness to explore her companion's inner minds, but they could do the same as well. She felt that this was so wrong, but something compelled her to stay her.

" Are you confused?" a voice asked.

Both of them turned around to look at who was speaking. Suzumi gasped as she recognized the person who spoke. It was none other than Maya, who was…then a strange thought dawned on her. She knew this woman, yet she didn't know much. She could recognize her features, some personal details, yet not remember why was she related to her or how she could even relate to her. So familiar, yet so distant.

" …Why are you here?" Ryouta asked, looking as if her was looking at a ghost.

" I am who you really think I am. After all, why would you even think of me? This is an illusion of the mind. Are you in a dream, Mazaki Kazuki? Do you want to know the truth, Mazaki Kazuki? But you already know the answers, Kazuki. Your obsession should tell you all you need to know," Maya replied, cackling at him.

Ryouta shook his head furiously, pressing his hands against his ears. " No! Shut up! SHUT UP!" he yelled angrily. The world around them dissolved, and Suzumi found herself in a dark and dank laboratory. The sight of it frightened her, since it looked like a slice out of some horror scenario. Dead bodies with their guts hanging out from their stomachs hung by the side, and on the nearby operating table, several people were operating on a young boy, apparently without any anesthetics. More operating tables popped up with more operators, each lined with people, mostly young boys and girls. They were screaming their hearts out as the surgical knives tore through their bodies and opened up their chests.

She heard something rush towards them, and turning around, she let out a shriek of terror as a large, oversized snake slithered at incredible speeds towards Ryouta. She wanted to shout his name, but Ryouta got to his senses quickly, and snapping his fingers, the snake exploded in a huge ball of fire. Despite the snake blowing up into a hundred bits and its gory parts flying all over the place, the people in the laboratory continued with their operations, cutting open the guts of the young children while they were screaming in agony. Suzumi felt a rush of bile to her throat, and without waiting, pulled open a sliding door that materialized out of thin air and rushed through it, collapsing on the ground.

She was back in the empty room once more. The sight of Ryouta's mind was more shocking than she expected. Behind the usually calm exterior he showed them, there were terrors in his heart that were never healed. Could he be the result of a grizzly experiment carried out by some nuthead? That was the impression she felt when she was in that gruesome laboratory. The sounds of tortured screams were still ringing in her ears, and she crawled to a corner, hugging her knees while trembling for a while.

" That was scary. I didn't know Ryouta harboured so much dark thoughts," she told herself. " What am I doing? I shouldn't be doing this…"

Despite saying that herself, her eyes turned their attention towards the sliding door, this time the words Gendou Hibiki marked on it. Suzumi didn't know why, but perhaps it was because she didn't know them very well that compelled her to want to know what they were thinking. The extent of her ability got to the better of her, and got up and pulled the door apart.

The rousing sound of cheering and yelling could be heard as she entered a stadium, the energy and fervor coming from the crowd was immensely intense. People were on their feet, shouting as if their lives depended on it. She was in a stadium in her own village, the one where they used to host tournaments. From the looks, if she was not mistaken, this was the one where they hosted the Chuunin Select Exams. She rushed forward to take a look at the arena.

Three figures could be seen in the arena. One was the judge, a jounin by the name of Baki, if Suzumi wasn't mistaken. He had his entire head bandaged and had these odd red lines across his cheeks. The other two were clearly contestants. One was none other than Hibiki himself, apparently 15 years old in this image, looking as smug as ever. His second lance, Hime, was not with him, so he probably didn't own it then. The opponent was none other than…

" Huh?! Isn't that our Kazekage?" Suzumi mused.

There was no doubt about it. Their Kazekage was Hibiki's opponent. Suzumi had to remind herself that this was not a memory, but something Hibiki was thinking inside of his brain, so this was obviously not the Chuunin exam in which he took. Down below on the lower seats she could spot the rest of their team members, save for Mayuri. Right next to her was the tournament board, which listed all the fights. Apparently the tournament was merely Hibiki facing off the rest of the jounins in her village, with the Kazekage being the last opponent.

Suzumi however noticed another Hibiki in the crowd, apparently slightly confused at the spectacle, but after a few seconds getting his bearings, he suddenly broke into a wide grin and started laughing to himself, not before finding a seat to enjoy the show. This must be the original Hibiki, the one carrying his conscience. Suzumi decided to stick around, giving Hibiki enough time for him to enjoy the match.


	26. Chapter 25: Belief

**Chapter 25: Belief**

" Hey, hey~, Makoto, wake up! I dreamt of something amazing last night," Mayuri shouted, practically bouncing around next to Makoto's sleeping body. Makoto slowly got up and scratched his head, not before turning to her. " Wanna hear?"

" …I don't think I have a say in the matter, do I?" Makoto asked.

" I had a dream that we had 4 kids," Mayuri replied.

" 4, isn't that a bit much?" Makoto asked.

" Not really. Two boys, two girls, and we were staying in this cool looking villa somewhere in our village. Best part was you cooked us a massive feast for dinner. Boy, was I stuffed," Mayuri replied.

" …I can't cook…you sure you are not mistaking me for Hiroshi," Makoto asked.

" I'd rather not have her kids, mind you," Hiroshi spoke up from the corner, as he was now busy preparing breakfast, cooking up oatmeal. Taking two bowls, he handed them to Makoto and Mayuri, who accepted them graciously. " Eat up. Ryouta said we'd be leaving soon."

" So, you had a dream as well?" Mayuri asked.

" …Why'd you want to know?" Makoto mused, sounding slightly tired.

" …That means yes…hmm, was I in it?" Mayuri asked.

" …I don't get where this is going…" Makoto sighed.

" I was definitely in it~" Mayuri replied happily, as if she had just won the lottery. " Let's see…was I n-"

" Hell yeah! Breakfast!" Sora shouted loudly, pouncing on the supply of oatmeal Hiroshi had just made.

" Oi, I've got to ration the food! Bugger off!" Hiroshi snapped back.

The rest of them were up, and most of them were making a fuss. Ryouta was the only one not making any noise, sitting by the side and watching them fuss over breakfast. He had a nightmare last night, something he thought he had repressed a long time ago. _How strange…I am remembering it all over again…_Ryouta thought to himself. _Was this a sign? Did this mean something?_ He thought moodily to himself.

He did notice he wasn't the only morose person this morning. Hayate was propped by the side as well, his katana leaning on his shoulders. He usually had this brooding look in his eyes, like he rarely got any sleep at all, but there was this look of strange hate in his eyes. Ryouta could not imagine what would make him took this bad today, and he wondered if there was something wrong with himself in wanting to have the sarcastic, caustic Hayate back.

" Had a bad night?" Hayate asked, directing his voice towards Ryouta. He merely nodded his head in acknowledgement. " Me too. Can't believe I had that shitty nightmare again…"

Ryouta looked at him curiously. _Shitty nightmare? Again?_ Strange words, and such strange coincidences.

" What was it about?" Ryouta asked.

" …Me killing my mother…" he answered curtly, not before getting to his feet, dragging his katana with him. Ryouta looked at him as he passed him, not sure if he was to take it seriously. " Hungry…need something to eat."

ooo

" Hell yeah! It's the fucking border!" Sora exclaimed excitedly.

After an hour of travelling, they managed to reach the Land of Steel. They could see the outposts by the distance, where the shinobi patrols were bound to be. Most of the area was littered with rocky cliffs and sparse vegetation. The morning sun felt hot as it shone on their faces, as if challenging them to take another step forward.

" Well, our final hurdle. We need to split into 5 groups in pairs to break through to avoid detection. Of course, getting caught is not an option, or else we will all be totally screwed," Ryouta replied. " Team pairings: Hiroshi, you are with Aya. I will go with Hayate, Hibiki can take care of Masaki, while Sora will take care of Mai. Makoto and Mayuri will go together. We will all take a different direction each, and we will meet up at the rendezvous point. Any questions?"

Hiroshi knew why he had been put with Suzumi. Normally, he would be paired with another person for an escort, but this time, he figured Ryouta wasn't sure how to deal with Aya, who had not reverted back to the Suzumi personality, so he had to deal with the crazy person here. Not that he didn't have enough experience with Sora already.

" Alright, let's move off now…" Ryouta replied.

ooo

The journey was pretty quiet, but Hiroshi wasn't in the mood to talk anyway. He took the lead, and Aya followed closely behind, and he could feel her malicious gaze piercing his skull. He kept his opinions to himself, and continued along the way, traversing through the country, wanting to get out of it before they were spotted.

They took a few stops along the way, sometimes to check if the cost was clear to continued travelling. It was a difficult process, since Hiroshi wasn't suited for keeping track and detecting enemies. This task would usually fall to Makoto, or Ryouta and Sora if he was with his teammates. Still, he tried his best, and after half a day of travelling, he was thankful that he did not manage to run into any form of trouble.

However, they somehow managed to stumble across one of the local villages. Hiroshi inexperience with the country made him stumble into a settlement, which he was hoping to avoid. This would unfortunately mean some sneaking around the exterior of the village just to pass them.

" Why can't we kill them while we pass through the village?" Aya suggested.

" Please, we cannot solve all problems with just killing shit. Are you nuts?" Hiroshi snapped back at her. " Come on, let's go around the village…"

He moved off to the right, following a small forest path which would take them around the village, but Aya didn't move. Her eyes were still fixed on the village where she was looking at a vantage point from a tall rocky cliff. Hiroshi skidded to a halt, not before looking back at her, wondering what was up, when he noticed this bloodlust in her eyes.

" …I want to kill some of them…pretty please…" she replied, a grin on her face.

Hiroshi was appalled with what he saw. " What the fuck is wrong with you? You are not killing anyone, period!" Hiroshi snapped back.

She turned towards him with such ferocity that it made him jump slightly with shock. There was a look of utter distaste in her eyes. " You will not stop me from having my fun," Aya snarled back at him.

" Oh yeah…? Try me," Hiroshi replied, bracing himself. _You have got to be fucking kidding me? Do I need to fight this monster to subdue her?_ He thought to himself.

Aya raised one of her hands, only to clasp it on her face in agony, as if someone had just thrown vitriol onto her face. Her breathing was ragged and painful, and she staggered back while groaning in pain. Hiroshi was not sure what he had done, but she didn't seem intent on fighting him now.

" No…don't do this…I…I just…stop this shit!" she muttered, her words sounding painful.

" What? What's going on?" Hiroshi asked, clearly confused.

" You…you can't do this to me!" Aya shouted loudly.

" Oh yes, I can!" another familiar voice replied.

" …Suzumi?" Hiroshi exclaimed, unable to believe his luck.

With a sudden howl of determination, Aya pulled her head back, not before dropping to her knees and slamming her head onto the ground with such force even cracks appeared on the ground. Hiroshi was terrified of the sight, wondering if she somehow cracked her skull in the process. Her ragged breathing slowly subsided, and when she got up again, Hiroshi was almost too glad to see that her eyes were no longer glowing crimson, although her forehead was bleeding badly now.

" …Suzumi?" Hiroshi asked.

" …Huh? I guess I must have caused you some form of trouble…" Suzumi said, sounding slightly groggy, which was not surprising after slamming her head to the ground in such a fashion.

Hiroshi rushed to her, dropping to his knees as he raised his hands to her forehead. Suzumi could feel a soothing, warm sensation as he placed his hand over her head, which was glowing blue slightly now, healing the cut on her forehead. " Oh my God…I'm glad you are back…" Hiroshi replied.

" Hmm, so much for having a case of schizophrenia," Suzumi replied, giggling slightly.

" You know?"

" Bits and pieces. Why don't you tell me what you know?" she asked.

ooo

" Sorry for keeping it from you. I guess I should have told all of you the moment I found out, but I wasn't sure how you all might take it," Hiroshi apologetically replied.

" No, I understand. It must have been confusing for you anyway. Glad I could take over my body again. Feels odd to be trapped within my own brain," Suzumi replied.

" …How'd you come back?" Hiroshi asked.

" …Dunno really…I just asserted my dominance over the matter. Guess it works," she replied, smiling.

" Is that so?" Hiroshi asked. Both of them were taking a quick break, with Hiroshi filling in Suzumi about what she missed, although from the reaction on her face, it looked like she had pretty much understood what had happened. " Anyway, we need to move. We need to get out of this country before we get discovered. Ready to move?"

Suzumi went silent, her head drooped and aimed at the floor. Hiroshi raised an eyebrow, wondering if there was something wrong. " Is…something the matter?" he asked.

" …I…I must apologise," Suzumi replied.

" …For what?" Hiroshi asked, chuckling slightly. " If it's because of your split personality taking over, don't worry about…"

" The dream you had last night, it was a personification of your own inner personality. I induced that dream. In fact, I induced the same type of dream to everyone…so, I'm sorry…I was merely curious…I have no memories of you all, so I just wanted…" Suzumi apologized, too embarrassed to look at Hiroshi in his eyes.

Hiroshi looked slightly aghast. " You mean…that dream where I watched my entire village burn to the ground…you did that?" he asked.

" Yes…I didn't mean to…" Suzumi apologized. For the first time ever, she had never seen Hiroshi so dangerously angry, his eyes almost flashing, but his anger subsided quickly, not before sighing loudly.

" So…what do you make of it?" he asked.

" …You are angry about something deep down inside. However, your village burning to the ground didn't really signify your anger. There was no malice in the flames, but some form of kind warmth that was strangely comforting, yet disturbing. I…I think it signified the fact that you would be willing to sacrifice your village to get back something which you lost, which is the source of your anger," Suzumi replied.

" …Do you know what specifically lost?" Hiroshi asked.

" …I don't know, I wasn't looking…"  
" Good, cos I'd like to keep it that way," Hiroshi snapped back slightly more harshly than he probably should have. Suzumi winced slightly at his caustic words, but she didn't wish to raise an objection. Hiroshi tried to calm down slightly, not before getting to his feet. " Shall we go? We shouldn't…"

" I know this isn't my place to say this, considering the circumstances, but…I think you should talk to the rest of your friends about this. You hide it pretty well, but I think you are highly disturbed at this point. I don't exactly know what it is, but it is eating you inside out. Leaving it any longer would only be detrimental to your own mental health," Suzumi replied.

" What would you know?" Hiroshi mused.

" I can still remember my medical training. It's kinda obvious, now that I think about it," Suzumi answered.

" …Quiet, you don't know anything," Hiroshi replied.

" You keep putting yourself in such situations. You know what's your problem? It's your inferiority complex. You keep having this idea that you are so much weaker than your comrades, and you always keep problems to yourself because you think you are too much of a bother to your companions. You cannot accept that they treat you as an equal, and that you would need to rely on them as much as you want them to rely on you," Suzumi corrected him, persistence setting in now.

" …I said keep quiet…" Hiroshi snapped.

" No, I won't…"

Hiroshi instantly launched himself at her, like a panther jumping on its prey. Grabbing her roughly, he slammed his palm onto her mouth, keeping her shut, not before grabbing her and jumping up onto a tree, pressing her roughly onto the trunk. Suzumi whimpered slightly at the rough way he was treating her, but his concern seemed to stem from somewhere else.

" Hush, I hear someone coming," he whispered.

A minute passed, not before Suzumi could hear the sounds of approaching company. Hiroshi released his grip on her, confident that she would keep quiet now, not before pulling something out from his weapon pack. It was a short, 3 cm wooden needle, which he snapped in two using his fingers. There was a pop and smoke appeared, not before something that looked like an invisible thin sheet of paper popped out of nowhere. Hiroshi caught it and spread it out. Suzumi could feel a soft sensation, almost like silk covering her but way gentler and smoother than silk.

" What's this…?" she asked.

" An invention of mine. I call it Paper of the Mist. Coating with a small amount of chakra allows it to cover us, so on the outside, people cannot see us, but we can see them," Hiroshi answered.

Suzumi recalled the last fight where Hiroshi seemed to have ripped himself out from a tree, which was most likely the previous time he used this item. She could feel some form of almost ethereal blanket covering her, but she could still see the area around her perfectly, her vision still perfect despite being covered by something.

" This thing can hide us very well, but I suggest not speaking, or moving, while they are here," Hiroshi replied.

As soon as he stopped speaking, several shinobis turned up from the west side. They were in a platoon of four, and judging from their looks, age and attire, three of them were most likely genins, while the one leading them was no more than a chuunin. The genins consisted of two boys and a girl, all of them dressed in standard Steel shinobi attire, which consisted of a sleeveless leather vest and steel plated fingerless gloves. Their leader, the female chuunin, was dress in casual clothing, as if she was a villager out on a stroll, not even a single pack of equipment could be spotted on her. All of them had the headband of the Steel village proudly displayed on their head, where a square with a cross in the middle was engraved on it.

" Man, am I tired. We've been working the whole day. Can we take a break, Kanae?" one of the boy genin asked, stretching his arms.

" Man, aren't you lazy? Keep this up and you'll be stuck as a genin forever," the female genin replied.

" Come on, there is no need for fighting between comrades. We can use a break, can we not, Kanae-sensei?" the third member asked.

" Of course," Kanae replied, already sitting herself down under the shade of the trees.

" Oi, Kanae is already taking a break!" the first boy exclaimed, pointing a finger at her.

" Watch your manners! This is Kanae you are talking about. I wish you wouldn't treat her so casually," the girl replied, smacking him on his head.

" I don't really mind," Kanae replied, smiling back at them.

_Shit, of all times and places to take a break…_ Hiroshi thought to himself, while Suzumi merely continued to observe the on-goings. _ Looks like we have no choice but to patiently wait here. I hope they don't take too long of a break…_

" Lunch break!" the first boy exclaimed, digging into his backpack.

" This is a break, not lunch break! Stop taking out your lunch box!" the female shinobi snapped back.

" You two never stop quarrelling, do you?" Kanae sighed, but she continued smiling at them. " Hey, look…Toushi's back!"

Hiroshi was a little shocked to hear that they had another member, but the only thing that appeared as a small eagle, which flew in and rested on the second male genin's shoulder. " Hey, Toushi, had your fun? See anything interesting?" The eagle squawked loudly, the sound screeching into Suzumi's ear. " I guess not."

The eagle looked around, not before looking up towards where Hiroshi and Suzumi was hiding. Hiroshi frowned as he saw the bird cocked its head to the side, as if it could somehow see through the disguise.

" …Not…freaking…possible…" Hiroshi replied, gritting his teeth.

All of a sudden, the bird started to caw loudly while flapping its wings. The genin turned towards Toushi, not before looking upwards where Hiroshi was. " Kanae, Toushi says that there is…"

The genin never completed his sentence. He stopped speaking mid-sentence because he suddenly found out that there was a long katana blade stuck through his throat. The eagle on his shoulders squawked loudly, flapping its wings as it prepared to take flight, but the katana ripped itself through the boy's neck, cutting the unfortunate bird in two and almost severing the boy's head from his neck. The blood splattering out from his fatal wound splashed all over Hiroshi's face, whose face was set like some devilish figure.

The genins gave a cry of surprise and got to their feet, but Hiroshi was way faster than the two of them, and rushing towards them, he swung his katana around, slitting their throats with precision. Both of them collapsed onto the ground, writhing in pain and chocking on their own blood.

" You…!" Kanae snarled, not before forming some hand seals of her own. " Limiter: Re…"

Hiroshi didn't give her a chance to do whatever she wanted. He fired his puppet arm at her, the katana still in its grip, and it sunk into her chest, piercing her heart. There was a look of utter shock displayed on Kanae's face. Hiroshi pulled back his arm, and as the katana was yanked out of her chest, Kanae dropped to the ground, her mouth moving slightly.

" …D…Dai…su…ke…" she gasped, not before going silent, her eyes unfocused.

Something slammed violently into Hiroshi's head, sending him flying towards the side. Despite him getting dizzy from the hit, he jumped to his feet, wondering where the attack came from when he saw Suzumi in front of him, apparently having attacked him and was now crying profusely.

" What…what the hell did you just do?" she screamed at him.

" I saved our lives, damn it…what the fuck did you think it look like?" Hiroshi snapped back angrily.

" You…you murdered them!" Suzumi replied, crying even harder now. " Why…why!"

" We cannot afford to get detected. If they were to escape and tell on us, we are all fucked, understand? Our own friends will come here and start hunting us down! I did what I could to avoid that!" Hiroshi shouted back.

Suzumi couldn't stop crying. She dropped to her knees and continued sobbing uncontrollably. " Oh my God…we just…we just killed a bunch of innocent kids…what…what have we done?" Suzumi cried.

_What have I done indeed…_ Hiroshi asked himself, not before looking at his bloodstained hands. He couldn't believe that he managed to cut down innocent shinobi as easy as slicing bread. He knew that he should feel some form of remorse, yet he felt strangely devoid of any emotion, as if what he did, he did on a whim. _What have I really done…_

" …We need to leave," he muttered after a while. Suzumi didn't seem to listen to him, and continued crying. " Suzumi, I said we need to leave!"


	27. Chapter 26: Sinister Minds

**Chapter 26: Sinister Minds**

" Yuuko is dead."

The words came swift and quick. Those gathered in the room merely looked at each other uneasily as the person who was relaying the news stood in the middle, impassively telling them what he was supposed to say. Silence overcame the room, and nobody seemed to want to say anything.

" Cause of death?" someone asked after what seemed like a while.

" …Urm…internal bleeding?" the messenger replied sheepishly.

" What do you mean?"

" If I may?" a young female spoke up in the crowd.

" Please, enlighten us, Sakuya."

" What killed her was her own body. We found high levels of enzymes which were involved in digesting and destroying cellular components in her entire body. In short, it was her own body systems that killed her," Sakuya replied.

" Was this poison?"

" No…if I may be given a chance to guess, I think it was one of the 'Crimson Nightmare's' techniques," Sakuya replied.

" So, it has been completed?" another person asked.

" It's hard to say. My guess is that she is not completed yet, but perhaps halfway there. What are your thoughts on this?" the original messenger asked, directing his questions towards three people who were seated by the side of the room. Two of them were male, while the other female merely look on with this intense glare in her eyes.

One of the male who wore glasses leaned forward to speak. " It's hard to say at this moment without any significant data, but I suppose it is some form of progress. However, it is hard to confirm anything at this point in time," he replied. " Even we do not really know the extent of this power."

One of them stood up. He was a powerful looking man, with a broad chest and massive biceps. He gave the entire crowd a fleeting glance, not before speaking in a bored, yet dangerous tone. " The 'Hunters' will follow me now. The rest, I want you to continue what you were doing before. Our superior requires all preparations to be done swiftly," he spoke up. Nobody gave a spoken reply, but merely nodded their heads and disappeared from sight. Only 8 people remained, including Sakuya and the messenger.

The man who spoke started to walk outside of the room, emerging from what looked like a well-furnished palace, with a vast, extensive garden outside. The rest of the members from the meeting merely quietly followed their 'leader' as he walked along the outer corridor, glancing towards the sky every so often.

" Kouma," he spoke.

" Yes, Boss?" the messenger spoke.

" How long has it been since Yuuko's death?" the Boss spoke.

" It's hard to say," Kouma replied, scratching his head. " Why?"

" I intend to gauge their progress. These small band of Leaf and Sand nins are posing more of a threat than we expected," the Boss replied.

" It is to be expected," one of them spoke up.

" What do you mean, Yashamaru?" the Boss asked.

" 6 of their members have been involved with a number of our activities, and each time they have managed to hamper a lot of our organization's progress. Tsubaki knows more about it, since she does most of the information work," Yashamaru spoke, pointing his thumb towards Tsubaki, who merely glared at him from behind.

" Explain," the Boss replied.

Tsubaki knew Yashamaru was annoying her by putting her up to this task, but she didn't dare make a fuss, because their 'Boss' was indeed a frightening man. " Our first record of them was during the first Data Sampling mission for the 'Hagane'. It was when we were sending out our troops to kidnap genins from various countries for our weapon and medical experiments. Their group was the one of the three groups whom we failed to kidnap, despite having three attempts. They even managed to ambush us on the third attempt, and pulled through with no casualties," Tsubaki replied.

" There has been several other isolated incidents after that, but their previous major blow to our organization was during the assassination attempt of Lady Kaguya from the Village of Grass, who played a key role in stabilizing the relationship between both countries, which we were supposed to utilize to create civil war. With a mere small team, they were able to cut down our assault and get Lady Kaguya to safety, and deal a significant blow to our forces. They had some minor help with the Grass allies, but they managed to significantly hold our forces back until they escorted her to safety," Tsubaki answered. " Now, with the latest incident…"

" Which would not have been foiled if you all did not fumbled in the Sand village," the Boss replied. " I am sure you understood how much effort was put to place you inside the village without incident?"

" With all due respect, the only reason why we failed was…"

" Because your target came back early? A pathetic excuse! Our current exercise is to rectify this mistake, and despite our resources, they still stay elusive," the Boss replied. " Hmph, it seems as though they live up to their names."

" Are you referring to the Phoenix of Konoha?" Kouma asked.

" …Why? Feeling confident you can handle him with your rock ninjutsu?" the Boss sneered.

" Ahahaha…why don't I leave him up to you, huh?" Kouma replied.

The Boss gave no comeback, but Kouma knew when to keep his trap shut, and this was the moment. The Boss merely walked through the corridors with quick, swift steps. Upon reaching one of the rooms, he suddenly entered, pushing the door open with force, and entered in a flash. The rest of them followed suit.

The inside was a simple, yet fairly luxurious room. The room was mostly empty, save for a large futon that was folded up by the corner. A young figure in a light pink kimono could be seen sitting by the balcony, looking out into the open sky. There was absolutely nothing there, not cloud in sight or a trace of birds, but pure, empty sky. The girl didn't seem to mind, and the look on her face when she turned to face the shinobis who entered her room was one of slight disappointment.

" Miyako, have you recovered?" the Boss asked. Miyako seemed hesitant to answer, and she averted her gaze from him slightly. " Your answer doesn't matter. What we need is information. You have met the group first hand. If you cannot handle the task, then I would ask you to tell us in detail what you understood from the fight, especially individual fighter details."

Miyako merely looked at all of them curiously, as they took up individual spots all around her room, waiting for her to answer. Taking a deep breath, she slowly closed her eyes, not before opening them a few moments later, both of her irises glowing sinisterly blue.

" The groups primarily consists of two three team members: Sato Ryouta leading the Leaf team with Suzuki Hiroshi and Tanaka Sora, while Kisurugi Makoto leading the Sand team with Gendou Hibiki and Nagato Suzumi. Due to the effects of the memory splitting technique, Mizuno Mayuri is currently taking Suzumi's place, who is a recent companion and Makoto's fiancé," Miyako replied. Some of the shinobis present raised their eyebrows, wondering if the last statement was really necessary.

" Currently under their surveillance are three Blood-nins, two who are fresh genins and another a young Chuunin with ties to the country's upper echelons. The Chuunin is Hagane Hayate, while his two companions are Sasaki Masaki and Higa Mai."

" Sato Ryouta a.k.a. The Phoenix of Konoha. Specialises in all elemental ninjutsus, but the fire element is his forte, with his signature Immortal Phoenix technique, one where he coats his hands, and sometimes his body, depending on the chakra output, with intense flames. This augments his attack speed, especially quicker ninjutsu activation, along with a higher power output. Needs a lot of chakra to maintain his technique, but he has a large chakra pool, so this drawback is insignificant unless in a very long, drawn out battle of attrition. Major flaws: technique susceptible to high-level barrier techniques, sealing jutsus and ninjutsu cancellation techniques, especially elemental ones. Highly knowledgeable in combat techniques and has a lot of experience to back his combat potential. Other known abilities are tracking, scouting, infiltration, demolition, cracking codes along with maths and geography, plus being highly adept in elemental manipulation. Current height: 5ft 5in; current weight: 58kg. Current combat statistics: 60%, 70%, 90%, 65%, 75%, 100%, 75%, 80%. Combat ranking: A-/B+, S/A+, B-/B-. Elemental affinity: Fire."

" What the hell was with all the numbers she has been spouting?" Kouma asked Sakuya.

" Have you forgotten? It's Miyako's rating system. Basically she gives a score to a specific trait to gauge a shinobi," Sakuya replied, sounding tired, as if Kouma always repeated this question.

" Oh, like a grading system in school…urm, what are her stats again?" Kouma mused.

" …*sigh*…For combat statistics, it's strength, stamina, chakra, speed, chakra control, elemental manipulation, general combat knowledge and technique. For combat rating, its taijutsu offensive/defensive, ninjutsu offensive/defensive and genjutsu offensive/defensive," Sakuya replied.

" Whoa…wait a minute, that's some crazy potential there…I think the only person I know who outclasses him here is our Boss," Kouma replied, before adding sarcastically " …And perhaps me…"

" …They are just a general overview," Sakuya replied.

" …Miyako is never wrong…well, most of the time," Kouma replied.

" His long time teammate, Tanaka Sora a.k.a. The Sonic Fang , is an expert in taijutsu. She mainly specializes in utilizing sound ninjutsu to enhance her offensive taijutsu capabilities tremendously. She excels in both speed and destructive capabilities, having clocked a maximum of 625kph being one of her personal best. Hot-headed and rash, but she has the best analytical ability in terms of understanding jutsus in the team. Has by far the most destructive power of all of them, even higher than that of Ryouta. Her taijutsu is mainly self-taught, taking moves and techniques from all sorts of taijutsu arts. It mainly works with her using high-speed movement with her legs and deadly precise strikes with her fist. She can currently open 3 of the 8 Celestial gates. Bandages around her hands are specially made to absorb shock damage from her techniques, and when taken off, will cause her fighting capabilities to increase. Major flaws: Highly impulsive and hot headed, and besides her fast speed taijutsu and sound techniques, does not have anything else in her arsenal, and is highly weak against genjutsu. Other known abilities: scouting, demolition, assault and assassination. Current height: 5ft 3in, Current weight: 59kg Current combat statistics: 95%, 90%, 35%, 95%, 40%, 50%, 75%, 70%. Combat ranking: S/C+, B-/C, D/F. Elemental affinity: Water."

" The final member of the Leaf team is Suzuki Hiroshi, a.k.a. the Azure Forest. Mostly a support team member, as he is adept at medical ninjutsu techniques and as such, acts as their combat medic. He is also known as one of the best weapon creator in the Leaf village, having created over a few hundred types of equipment, weapons, and different sorts of items and craftsmanship, and thus does weapon maintenance and support for his team. Besides that, he is an unparalleled expert when it comes to traps, setting traps and detecting traps. His main form of combat style is using puppets, an art unusual for a Leaf-nin, but considering the close ties he has with his Sand comrades, it isn't that far-fetched to assume he picked it up from the Sand village with some form of help and consent. At this point in time, he is the only Leaf-nin in his village who can use the puppet arts, and he is known to be a genius puppet user and puppet maker as well, far surpassing jounin puppeteers of the Sand village. Major flaws: Unknown. Other known abilities: cooking, craftsmanship, taxonomy, zoology and vast knowledge of herbs and wild flora. Current weight: variable, since he has puppet parts, which can change is overall weight, Current height: 5ft 4in. Current combat statistics: Unknown, Unknown, 60%, Unknown, 90%, 75%, Unknown, Unknown. Combat ranking: Unknown in all aspects. Elemental affinity: Wind."

A few members wanted to speak at this point, but the Boss merely raised his hand, telling them that this wasn't the time for talk, or at least not yet.

" For the Sand team, their leader, Makoto Kisurugi a.k.a. Reaper of the Winds. He is mainly apt in wind ninjutsu, although he has a lot of knowledge in earth and electric ninjutsu as well. He acts as if he is blind, but this is not true. He can still use his eyes, but he doesn't, possibly due to some defect or it places a strain on him. He manages to handle himself using his hearing, honed till the point where he can pick up the slightest sounds, an his tracking ability using sonic waves can reach up to 5 kilometers in diameter at best, 10 kilometers with some interference. Not only is his sense of hearing top-notch, he can sense his surroundings using his sense of touch and smell, not to mention he does have a slight uncanny 6th sense. He has yet to show it, but utilizing wind ninjutsu is hardly his limit. He also uses sand as some form of genjutsu and defensive armour. Major flaws: his tracking ability using sound isn't perfect, and with the right cloaking and barrier techniques, it can be easily bypassed. A sharp assault on his hearing will cause a few second delay in his actions, and being visually impaired in a fight has a lot of disadvantages. Although he is very fast in executing his ninjutsu techniques, he has a major flaw, as in his follow up attack is slower than normal. A swift cross-counter when he executes a ninjutsu is the best way to strike him, as he is at his most vulnerable then. Other known abilities: stealth, tactics, assassination, geography especially in desert climates and leadership. Current height: 5ft 8 in. Current weight: 60kg. Current combat statistics: 55%, 75%, 90%, 70%, 65%, 75%, 70%, 60%. Combat ranking: B/B-, A+/S, B-/A. Elemental affinity: Earth."

" Gendou Hibiki, a.k.a. the Fang Lancer. He is highly adept at taijutus, but his main speciality is using spears in combat. Highly agile, only second in agility compared to Tanaka Sora, but his combat edge is unparalelled. Currently uses two main arnaments when fighting: a high-class spear with was forged by the legendary weapon maker of the Sand village, The Black Beetle, which he calls 'Tsuki', and a javelin forged by his close friend, Suzuki Hiroshi, called 'Hime'. He utilises Tsuki mainly in close combat and Hime for ranged combat, but he can use either one in any given scenario. Highly adaptable and skilled, he is also very cunning and deceptive in his fights, and he has overly sharp reflexes. He is one of the 12 people who are in the current posession of the Windwalker technique, one class away from attaining the class 5 level of the skill, which only has a record of 5 people who have ever successfully managed to master this skill at the highest level. This ability is activated by surrounding his entire body, along with the weapons he is carrying, with the wind element, giving his an enormous boost in speed, agility and piercing attacks. His ability cannot be activated in succession, as 2 times is the maximum activation he can achieve in one day, but the length where he can maintain the skill after its activation is very long. His current record is 12 minutes, 2 minutes longer than the avergae shinobi combat period. Major flaws: Highly susceptible to genjutsu. During direct combat, his angle and direction of movements can be calculated, if one has the perception and recognition ability that is quick enough to match his speed. Dispelling his Windwalker technique is difficult, but still highly possible using seals and ninjutsu counter techniques. Other known abilities: assasination, tracking, analysis, survival and basic geography and knowledge of desert environment is very vast. Current height: 6ft. Current weight: 68kg. Current combat statistics: 85%, 75%, 40% 85%, 65%, 75%, 65%, 70%. Combat ranking: S/C, B+/B+, D/E. Elemental affinity: wind."

" The third member of the Sand team is Nagato Suzumi a.k.a. The Crimson Healer. She mainly serves as a support member of the group, as she specialises in medical jutsus and genjutsu. Between both Suzumi and Hiroshi, Suzumi possess more skill in medical jutsu, to be more exact, a class above. The is one of the top 3 medic-nins in the Sand village, an expert especially in poisons, and having extensive knowledge of herbs, medicine and medical techniques from her village and from foreign ones as well. Mainly uses poison and genjutsu, which some of her poisons used to enhance her genjutsu effects. Besides that, she has some skill in barrier and sealing techniques, along with the best chakra control of the entire team, her medical techniques coming close to treating injuries at a cellular level. Likes to use senbon needles in her attacks, but has only decent levels of skill in taijutsu. Major flaws: her skills poses a major drawback in 1-on-1 fights unless she is highly prepared, and most of her abilities need at least some amount of time before they can be unleashed. Other known abilities: all things medical related. Current height:5ft 2in. Current weight:50kg. Current combat statistics: 40%, 65%, 60%, 50%, 100%, 75%, 65%, 75%. Combat ranking: D/E, A/B+, S/A. Elemental affinity: Lightning."

" Since Suzumi is currently considered an invalid, Mizuno Mayuri is currently replacing Suzumi in her team. A recent associate to Makoto, she mainly specialises in powerful water techniques, which means she is usually sent on overseas missions due to the local desert weakening her abilities severely. She has a really large chakra pool, large enough for us to consider abnormal even by shinobi standards. Most of her abilities consist of drawing large bodies of water everywhere, which she can produce almost out of free will. Has a bloodline ability, but it's properties are unknown. Major flaws: highly limited to water ninjutsu techniques only, and has only decent reaction speed. Major damaging techniques can be interrupted as they take too much time for her to use effectively. Other known abilities: hunting, survival and adaptivity. Current height: 5ft 4in. Current weight: 54kg. Current combat statistics: 60%, 60%, ?% (4-5 times Sato Ryouta's), 50%, 80%, 75%, 65%, 80%. Combat ranking: C/B, S/C, B/C. Elemental affinity: Earth."

" The three…"

" I do not need to hear about the blood-nins. They are pretty much insignificant," the Boss spoke, and Miyako shut up immediately. " I need to confirm a few things with you about our targets. Makoto and Mayuri have an affinity to the earth element. Why are their main techniques not earth based?"

" Compatibility does not factor in personal preference," Miyako answered, blinking a few times before her eyes returned to their normal state.

" Sora is rather heavy for her size and height. Why?"

" Mere speculation, but I think she has a higher bone density. Since her sound techniques uses her bones as a transmitting medium, she must have used some strengthening technique on them. One way is to add more mass to the bone, most likely artificially," Miyako answered.

" If you were to rank them in terms of combat skill, who would be the most hardest to take down, and going down to the weakest amongst all of them, comparatively in single combat or in team combat?" the Boss asked.

" Single combat: Hibiki, Suzumi, Ryouta, Makoto, Sora, Mayuri, Hiroshi. Team combat: Suzumi, Hibiki, Ryouta, Mayuri, Makoto, Sora, Hiroshi," Miyako answered.

" Hang on, I thought you said Suzumi was bad in 1-on-1 combat," Sakuya spoke up.

" I have added her data according to the memory splicing you did on her, and assuming she reaches her full potential, it is highly possible…no, actually, it probably already is, assuming she has activated her bloodline technique, that she is far beyond normal shinobi standards. Only risk here is her weaker willpower in terms of fighting," Miyako replied.

" Then, I do not get this. You are even capable of taking down a full-powered Suzumi, and half the team with relative ease, but yet you cannot even face Hiroshi, who is the weakest? Tell me why, and why are there so many variables missing when you graded him?" the Boss demanded.

" I…I …I cannot seem to read…him…" Miyako answered, trembling slightly.

" Explain," the Boss ordered.

" Whenever I engage in a fight, I calculate variables in their movement and attacks. I cannot seem to read Hiroshi's variables, for whatever the reason. That is why I cannot fight him," Miyako answered.

Before anyone else could say anything, a messenger entered the room. All their attention was shifted to this new person. " We have caught sight of them. Their last sighting was when they entered this country. What are your orders?" the messenger asked.

" Hmph, how convenient. They have entered this country by their own accord," the Boss spoke. " Very well, let's send people after them. However, do not attract attention to ourselves."

The rest of them nodded their heads, not before leaving the room one by one. Only 4 people remained, which included Miyako and three other people. Miyako merely looked blankly at her window, gazing at the light blue sky, while the other three converged in the middle of the room.

" It seems that our dear little Suzumi has reached her potential, or so we assume. Carrying out this experiment to bring out her bloodline abilities may be more dangerous than we expected," the shinobi earlier who wore glasses spoke up.

" Indeed, but this was the very reason why the abilities were sealed," a second male answered.

" Pah, what a pathetic excuse. Why would we even need to bother with her? We can easily test it out on ourselves," the female of the group snarled.

" You are too impatient, Akiha. The reason why we are doing this is because we do not know the extent of this bloodline ability. Treading such dangerous waters requires some form of discretion," the bespectacled male replied. " Well, no matter. Observing our subject from here will still prove useful to us."

With that, the three of them exited the room, leaving Miyako to herself, who looked quite relieved to be left alone once more.


	28. Chapter 27: Attempts

**Chapter 27: Attempts**

Makoto snapped his fingers and raised his hands. Both him and Mayuri skidded to a halt as Makoto tried to get a better understanding of his surroundings. Nothing seemed amiss, although Makoto was wary that his senses might be lying to him.

However, after about a minute, he decided it was merely a false alarm, and both he and Mayuri continued on their way. With his ability to traverse the terrain with little to no problem and his uncanny hearing ability, he expected to be the first group to pass the border.

" Can we have a break? I am a little tired," Mayuri pleaded.

" …Well, okay…but not too long, alright?" Makoto replied.

Mayuri happily sat herself on the grassy floor amongst the vegetation of the foreign country they were in. Makoto noted that the trees here in the forest grew to unimaginable heights, some twenty stories in height. Branches were entangled between one another amongst the trees here, which was an interesting natural touch. However, he could barely notice any form of wildlife, almost as if they were non-existant.

Mayuri took out her canteen, which Hiroshi had filled up with some freshly squeezed fruit juice. She emptied the bottle within seconds, wiping her mouth clean of the sweet, sugary goodness. " Fuah! That felt good…" she exclaimed.

" Good for you. You do remember that he only gave you one canteen, right?" Makoto reminded her.

" No worries. We'll make it past the border by today. I can get another canteen filled up when we are done…uh-huh," Mayuri replied, nodding her head knowingly.

" How confident," Makoto sighed.

" Where are we now?" Mayuri asked.

" Somewhere near the eastern border of the country. Straight ahead should be plains and forests all the way, so nothing much to worry about unless we meet up with a patrol," Makoto replied. He laid himself on the ground to take a break. " Man, we sure are far from home."

" Not that far. I've been further," Mayuri replied.

" What is it like being away from home for weeks on end?" Makoto asked. " I rarely get many missions that take me too far from the village."

" Refreshing, actually. I don't need to see the yellow sand walls of the village too much. It gets on my nerves somewhat," Mayuri admitted.

" Ah well, nobody likes sand, unless it's at the beach…" Makoto mused, not before sitting up. Mayuri noticed the way he reacted, as if his ears were picking up something, and it usually didn't bode well. " Hmm? Pursuers? Two of them, I think…this is highly irregular…"

All of a sudden, Mayuri could hear a low whistling tone. Nothing spectacular, but Makoto stumbled all of a sudden, clutching his right ear tightly. " God damn it…long range sonic attack?" Makoto mused in pain.

" Makoto!" Mayuri exclaimed in alarm.

" Don't worry about me! Incoming enemies!" Makoto snapped back.

Mayuri braced herself. Within less than a second, two figures appeared right before them. One of them was recognizable, Reina, the sound user, and although Mayuri had not yet met the other, she was sure she was Tsubaki from Sora's previous description of her. Makoto was still affected by whatever jutsu they used to hit him with, so she moved in front of him just in case they decided to pounce.

" Well, that worked better than expected," Reina mused.

" Sure did. Guess it is 2-on-1 then?" Tsubaki laughed.

" Think I am scared? Bring it, bitches!" Mayuri replied.

" You won't be so noisy when I am done with you! Actually….you won't make any noise at all, period!" Tsubaki snarled at her.

Makoto groaned and dropped to his knees, almost making Mayuri jump. She would have rushed to him, but turning around would leave them vulnerable to both Reina and Tsubaki. " Makoto, what's wrong? Why are you still constantly affected?" Mayuri exclaimed in alarm.

" …It's…a trap…set…up…area based…" Makoto could only groan weakly.

Mayuri could only widen her eyes in alarm as both Tsubaki and Reina pounced onto her.

ooo

" Aww, shucks, it's you!" Sora snapped as he saw Hibiki appear from behind the foliage. He gave her a warm scowl back not before climbing up the small knoll to meet up at the gathering point. Masaki ran towards Mai, who also scowled back at him, not entirely pleased to see him being one of the early groups. " Where are the others? I know we are the quickest in the team, but this is slow."

" You complain too much," Hibiki replied, sitting himself down beside her, making her move away to avoid him. " They probably were delayed slightly."

" Hibiki, we were supposed to gather 2 hours ago. To be precise, WE are the ones who are late," Sora replied.

" I'm sure they are just avoiding patrols," Hibiki answered nonchalantly.

ooo

Hiroshi was panting heavily. He was carrying an unconscious Suzumi on his back, and he wasn't entirely the most athletic amongst the rest of them. He could easily use a puppet to carry her to save him the effort, using a puppet to carry her might distract him from keeping an eye on his surroundings, since he needed focus to use his puppet. Suzumi was quiet and silent now, as he had to sedate her with some medicine to keep her quiet.

He had been travelling for a while now, having not taken a break since he killed those innocent Steel-nins. He was still quite wrecked over it, disturbed that he had to take them down least they managed to expose them, and also disturbed at the fact that he took them down so effortlessly than he could possibly imagine. A part of him tried to argue that it was because he didn't want them to suffer too much, so he did his best to kill them quickly.

Another part of him didn't agree with it. His technique was crude and violent, and in no way efficient in killing them quickly. He was sure the two genins who he had slit their throats suffered for a while before dying. In his haste to get out of the place, he merely grabbed Suzumi and left their corpses lying on the ground where he killed them. When the Steel-nins find their bodies, they will be surely out for blood.

He paused as he tried to quickly catch his breath. He was already running late from the estimated time for them to regroup at the northern border. He continued to push himself, occasionally stopping merely to catch his breath for a few seconds before moving on.

" This won't do. If I can sneak up on you this easily, you aren't doing very well in keeping an eye on your surroundings," a familiar voice spoke to him.

Hiroshi almost screamed in fright, but recognizing Ryouta's voice made him pause. Ryouta was standing right next to him, and Hayate was standing some distance away, smirking slightly. Hiroshi could only look with a look of disappointment in his face.

" Well, I don't blame you," Ryouta replied. " What happened to Aya?"

" It's Suzumi now. She reverted back. I needed to sedate her to calm her down," Hiroshi replied.

" I see. Come, I'll carry her. You look a little beat," Ryouta replied, picking Suzumi from his back and carrying her on his. " The meeting point isn't that far off, but I bet Sora is going to be pissed that we were late."

" Won't she be pissed regardless?" Hayate chirped in.

" You got that right," Hiroshi replied. All of them continued on their way, moving north. Hiroshi was a little curious in the formation, as both he and Ryouta was following Hayate from behind. " Urm…why is he leading you?" Hiroshi whispered to Ryouta, doing his best not to get heard.

" He is far more familiar with the terrain, so I'm letting him lead me along," Ryouta replied. " Relax, he knows his stuff."

Hiroshi figured that this was a perfect chance to discuss something with Ryouta without being overheard, or being too obvious about it. " Ryouta, I need to ask something. Last night, did you dream anything in particular?" Hiroshi asked. Ryouta gave him a look that told him all he needed to know. " ..It was Suzumi's doing. She told me she induced our dreams the last night. To all of us, in fact."

" If she did, that was one heck of a powerful genjutsu. I wonder where she learned it from?" Ryouta mused.

" Me too," Hiroshi replied.

" You look worried," Ryouta replied.

" Is that so?" Hiroshi replied, trying to wave it off, but it was obvious he wasn't doing a good job about it.

" You want to talk about it?" Ryouta asked.

" …Maybe…not now," Hiroshi answered firmly.

ooo

Mayuri reacted instantly. The moment she spotted both Reina and Tsubaki's legs lift from the ground, her hands started to form seals as fast as they could. She slammed her hand onto the ground, and both Tsubaki and Reina slipped around her, aiming for Makoto instead. However, her jutsu was not aimed for them. A hollow mold of earth popped up around Makoto, swallowing him up, not before sinking back into the ground. Reina and Tsubaki skidded to a halt, slightly annoyed that their prey is now missing.

" Pfft, you think I'm dumb or what?" Mayuri laughed.

Reina stomp her foot down on the ground hard, and all of a sudden, the ground below where Makoto was swallowed up exploded, the earth blasting out from the ground, but from the looks of it, she didn't manage to hit him.

" Seriously, you seem to be underestimating my capabilities. Forget about my sweetie for a bit, will you? Mayuri here will take good care of you~" Mayuri cooed.

" Tch, let's handle her first. It's two-on-one, we have the advantage here," Tsubaki snarled.

Tsubaki launched herself towards Mayuri, while Reina formed her hand seals from behind her. Mayuri could easily summon up large amounts of water for her to take advantage off, and this fight could easily be fairly easy if she did so, but it was important that she didn't draw attention to herself. Her water jutsus were flashy somewhat, so she had to tone down her attacks this time around.

As Tsubaki almost reach Mayuri, she could barely spot Reina who was directly behind her moving her arms in punching motions. The air in front of her started to distort, and Mayuri's eyes widened as she realized what it was. She tried to retreat, but Tsubaki lunged at her, her left hand reaching out towards her face. Mayuri raised her hand to block the strike, but some blunt force trauma hit her on her shoulder and lower left calf, knocking her onto the ground. Mayuri did a flip to get back onto her feet, but another shockwave grazed her face, knocking her aside.

Tsubaki moved towards her behind, blocking of her retreat to the back. Reina was uncannily accurate, as despite sending a torrent of wind bullets in her direction, none of them seem to be hitting Tsubaki. Mayuri wondered if Tsubaki was actively dodging the torrent of wind bullets which she was standing in the middle of, but she disregarded it. He straight, quick movements indicated she wasn't dodging anything Reina was throwing her way, which meant Reina was carefully aiming her shots in order to not hit her.

Mayuri was really at a disadvantage here. She couldn't really use any of her jutsus that won't attract attention, and without them, she was almost utterly hopeless in this fight. Quickly forming some seals, she set up a rock wall in-between her and Reina in order to temporarily block the hits.

However, to her surprise, the bullets managed to punch through the rock wall as if it was made of clay. One wind bullet hit her square in the face, sending cuts all over her face. Blinded by her bloodied face, she didn't sense Tsubaki sneak up behind her until it was too late. She felt a jolt of pain as a strong set of jaws clamped down onto her neck, her teeth puncturing into her neck. Mayuri gave a gasp of pain as she felt her fangs sink into her. Her body felt stiff and her strength seemed to seep out from the bite. Tsubaki was sucking intently on her neck, draining her chakra along with her blood.

" Heh, this is my bloodline ability. I guess it would be apt to call me a vampire, for that is how my bloodline ability functions. I can suck up chakra, blood and nutrients to recover myself, and also suck in your memories. I know exactly where you hid Makoto now. I can find him easily," Tsubaki cooed. Mayuri tried to reply but her mouth was full of blood.

Tsubaki pulled out a kunai and cruelly stab it into Mayuri's gut, twisting it roughly in order to allow her to suffer more pain. Mayuri merely tensed up when she felt the hit. " How's that? How does that feel?" Tsubaki asked sadistically.

Mayuri didn't reply, but after a few seconds, Mayuri's body jerked in response. Her right hand gripped the kunai tightly, not before yanking it out from her body with a tremendous effort. With a sudden burst of strength, Mayuri all of a sudden knocked Tsubaki from clinging on her back, not before spinning around and slamming the kunai into her gut.

" What? …How…this is…not…possible…?" Tsubaki groaned.

" That is your bloodline ability?" Mayuri exclaimed, her eyes looking wild. Blood was dripping all over the place, but she didn't seem bother by her fatal wounds, moving as if she had none. " That has got to be one of the most lamest bloodline abilities ever! Mine is way cooler than yours by a large mile!"

With a powerful kick, she sent Tsubaki flying backwards. Reina was a quite shocked at the development. Not only was she unfazed by her serious wounds, her physical strength seemed to increase somewhat, almost akin to her opening one of the celestial gates. However, Reina could not sense a spike in chakra, although Mayuri seemed to be emitting raw strength, it did not feel like she opened the Celestial gates, but she surprisingly seemed to be functioning like she did.

As Tsubaki had been dealt with, Mayuri changed her target to Reina, dashing towards her at speeds that was way beyond her normal capabilities. In a panic, Reina slammed her hands together and send a powerful shockwave towards Mayuri's direction. The blast hit her squarely in the middle, the shockwave bursting through her chest, with multiple cuts ripping out from all over her body. Mayuri was undeterred. Instead of slowing down from the hit, Mayuri seem to speed up her advance. She didn't really do anything special to Reina, merely punching her in the chest, which threw her many feet backwards, crashing noisily onto the ground.

" This…impossible…" Reina gasped.

Despite being covered in blood, Reina managed to notice that Mayuri seemed devoid of wounds, which was almost impossible. She had been hit, stabbed, and bitten, and soaked entirely in her own blood, but there were absolutely no wounds on her body.

" No way…super fast regeneration?" Reina gasped.

" No shit. I usually have to summon an ocean of water to fight, which in this case would draw a lot of attention. Not bad, forcing me to use my final hand," Mayuri replied.

Mayuri was about to go and finish off Reina, but something caught her attention. A group of people were heading in her direction. She needed to get the hell out of here immediately. If the Steel-nins catch a glimpse of her, it would be the end of her.

" Tch, you idiots live," Mayuri replied, tapping her foot twice. A mold of earth, similar to the one that swallowed Makoto up appeared beneath where Mayuri stood, swallowing her up and pulling her underneath the ground as well.

ooo

" You idiots are late," Sora snapped.

" And you look like shit," Hiroshi replied laconically.

" What did you say?" Sora replied, snarling menacingly. " You forgot your manners?"

" Hmph, never knew that you cared," Hiroshi answered, giving a bored yawn.

" What's with Suzumi? And Sora is right, you know. We were late as well, but you guys are an hour later than us. Got delayed?" Hibiki asked.

" Sort of. Suzumi is fine now. I dunno what Hiroshi did, but when she wakes up, she will get her old personality back," Ryouta answered.

" Oh, that's great," Mayuri spoke, appearing behind them.

" Hey, where have you been?" Sora demanded. " I was worried sick!"

" Aw, how nice~! But you know, I've been here before you," Mayuri replied, Makoto merely looking at the proceedings at her side, leaning against a tree.

" Liar," Sora snapped.

" That's enough. We need to proceed. It's really late now. We need to put some distance between ourselves and this country immediately. We can discuss who came first or what not later," Ryouta snapped, not before passing a sedated Suzumi to Sora. " Here, you carry her this time."

As the rest of them started to move, Makoto followed from behind, rubbing his ear slightly. " Is the jutsu still affecting you?" Mayuri asked, sounding slightly concerned.

" Not particularly," Makoto answered.

" I'm glad~" Mayuri replied, sounding very cheerful.

" I am still bugged at how we managed to escape them. I was pretty much incapacitated," Makoto replied.

" I outran those pussies!" Mayuri answered confidently.

" That's an outright lie. I don't think I can outrun them, and you are slower than me. Now, explain how did you outrun them if I can't?" Makoto asked.

" It's a secret~!" Mayuri replied. " Look, I used something secret, okay? I am sworn not to tell people about it. When I get permission, I'll tell you someday, okay?" Mayuri asked pleadingly when she spotted a slightly annoyed look on Makoto's face for not being honest with him.

" ….Does it have something to do with your hair?" Makoto asked.

" Eh?"

" Your hair. Between the time of our encounter and our escape, you hair has shortened by…10 centimeters. Please don't tell me it's not related. I'm not that dumb," Makoto replied.

" Hmm, it is, but I have something to ask. You are blind, right?" Mayuri cooed.

Makoto didn't answer. He merely smirked.


	29. Chapter 28: Assassination

**Chapter 28: Assassination**

Hayate opened his eyes slightly as he woke up, his body feeling tired from all the traveling. A couple of days have passed after managing to pass the Steel-nin country, they had managed to sneak into his home country. The sight of the long mountain passes told him that he was in very familiar territory. The chill he felt now was the biting chill of the cold mornings his country always experienced.

They had to sneak into the country, as they could not yet alert people to their presence in the country. However, passing through security was fairly easy. Hayate knew enough details of their own border patrol to elude the guards when trespassing through his country. At once, they managed to locate his uncle's abode, a tall castle in the east of his country, away from the capital city. However, Daiichi was not around, and they had been doing nothing but observe the palace from afar.

" Shouldn't we look for him?" Sora suggested.

" Don't worry, he will come back one of these days. When he does, it will be the end of him," Hayate replied.

Hayate had run through with them on multiple occasions on the castle's defenses. He informed them on where the guards were located, their numbers and their capabilities. Over the course of the last two days, they had spent them by doing periodic observations of the castle's exterior, to allow them to better understand the layout. Hayate had even drawn each of them a separate map of the castle's interior just in case they needed some form of reference.

Hayate looked up curiously when Ryouta walked towards where he was sleeping and casually tossed him a warmly baked bun, courtesy of Hiroshi. He took a bit when Ryouta spoke to him.

" Your uncle is back. We can carry out the plan now," Ryouta answered.

ooo

Hayate merely looked at a distance where they were camping, a tall, mountain range in the midst of sparse shrubs. With some help using binoculars, they could see his uncle, a bald man in his thirties exit from his carriage, apparently having just returned from a visit of sorts. Now that he was back, they could carry out their assassination plan.

" Shall we go over the plan one final time? I am itching to go," Sora replied.

" Alright, let's do this," Ryouta replied, taking out his own map of the castle. There was a basic sketch of the entire castle grounds, along with some black marks to indicate the rough estimate number of guards. The rest of them crowded around the map that was placed on the ground, some looking nervous, some looking excited.

" With the added convoy that returned with him, this adds to a total number of 45 shinobi in this building. The castle is pretty straight-forward. Hiroshi will take the front gate, where most of them have converged. When he gets their attention, the rest of us will move in. There are four separate levels in the castle, and Daiichi will be at the very top floor. Each of the first 3 floors should have about 7-10 shinobi guards, and a pair of us will take care of them, and quick. Suzumi and Sora take the first floor, Makoto and I will take the second, and Hibiki and Mayuri will take the third. Hayate, if what you say is correct, there will be only 3 guards on the top, with Daiichi as well. The main vanguard will be located at the staircase just below access to the top floor, so Hibiki and Mayuri will handle that. We go in, we hit quick, and we finish this job fast," Ryouta replied. " Anything to add?"

Everyone shook their heads.

" Alright, everything is in place. We get to our positions. Hiroshi, once the afternoon sun hits the peak, we will wait for your signal before we storm the place," Ryouta answered. " You sure you want to handle this?"

" You can count on me," Hiroshi answered.

" Dealing with multiple enemies is Hiroshi's specialty. I suppose we don't need to worry…well, too much, I suppose," Hibiki snickered.

" Hmph, I'll give them a show they won't forget," Hiroshi replied.

" Take care now. You've got the hardest job of all, but we will be counting on you to handle most of the force," Mayuri replied.

Hiroshi merely flashed them a smile and started to jog off to take his place.

ooo

" And what are we supposed to do? Wait here while you finish the job?" Mai asked.

Hayate looked at her, smirking slightly. " Of course, since you put it that way. Masaki and you are going to slow us down with your pathetic skills. If you come, it will only hinder us, so the best way you can help us is by sitting at the sides and watch as carry out our mission," Hayate replied.

" But…" Mai started.

" As much as I hate to agree with him, Hayate is right. You two will only get in the way. I would suggest that you stay here and wait for us," Makoto spoke up.

" And do nothing?" Mai asked.

As a reply, Mayuri walked up to her and handed her what looked like a long, cylindrical firecracker. " Well, if you really insist, you can have this. On the chance that you see something out of place, you can fire it and hopefully we will notice it when we are inside," Mayuri replied.

Mai looked annoyed, but she kept her peace.

ooo

Hiroshi walked calmly towards the front gate of the castle. He was thankful that Hayate's uncle decided to build his castle here in the outskirts of the city, away from people, most likely because he wanted seclusion. However, this worked for them perfectly, as it was unlikely that he could call reinforcements in time.

He had now caught the guards' attention, and some of them were scrambling about as they spotted him walking this way. In his hand he clutched his last remaining green scroll etched with a black cross. If he needed to carry this out perfectly, he would need to go all out.

" Halt!" a voice spoke, as three shinobis dropped down in front of him while he was about 100 meters from the gate. " Who are you and state your purpose? You look foreign. Depending on your answer, we may have to take punitive action!"

Hiroshi didn't reply. He merely pulled his scroll apart, lacing it with his blood from a cut he made on his finger a minute ago. The three shinobis reacted immediately, launching themselves at him, but a segment of his left puppet arm opened up when he pulled the scroll apart firing an explosive note at close range. The blast knocked them back, but didn't outright kill them.

Sending his chakra into the scroll, he activated his Garden of the Azure Forest technique. A whole slew of weapons and equipment started to rain down all over him. The three shinobis who had had sent flying backwards from the explosive note were impaled by the rain of weapons that dropped down on them, mercilessly ending their lives. Without wasting any time, multiple hidden flaps opened up along his puppet arms, and hundres of chakra strings were fired out from them, attaching to the nearby weapons. His sudden transformation into the Archangel made all those Blood-nins who were present took shocked to move. Soon, a large juggernaut of a metal beast stood in front of the palace, with large, red glowing eyes and all the weapons that made up its body spinning around in metallic harmony.

" Show time!" Hiroshi's voice, which sounded hollow and metallic from inside the puppet, spread its arms open, and a hundred weapons from its body was launched at incredible speeds towards the shinobis who were at the front of the gate.

ooo

" It's time, let's go!" Ryouta replied.

The moment the alarm was up, confusion would set in, but it would not be long before Daiichi would evacuate from the building, and it was easier to settle things with him while he was still trapped inside, so Ryouta knew they had to move in fast. The moment Hiroshi attacked the front gate, the rest of them blasted through the west side wall, charging furiously into the compound.

Two guards spotted their advance as they made their way towards the front gate entrance to the castle. Sora and Hibiki went to work, launching themselves at the guards at speeds so fast barely anyone there managed to see them move. They took a guard each, Sora punching one so hard he went flying through the front door, sending the wooden splinters everywhere. Hibiki gave a sharp stab into the other's neck, and he dropped to the ground as the rest of them charged into the castle.

" Head to your respective floors, now!" Sora shouted.

Ryouta, Makoto, Hibiki, Mayuri and Hayate kept running towards the end, where the staircase was located. Sora merely skidded to a halt, and Suzumi followed her. Several shinobis had entered the front door in which they had crashed through, about 5 of them. Sora merely slammed her fists together, the sound of the crashing fists making a reverberating sound all over the main hall where they were now. Flashing a grin, she merely looked at her target, licking her lips as if she was salivating at the sensation of being able to rend these people apart.

" They are moving, I can hear them," Makoto replied.

" Can you determine a number?" Ryouta asked.

" I can, but it will take time," Makoto replied.

" Nothing to it! We just need to get to the top floor quickly!" Hibiki replied.

The moment they hit the staircase, several kunais flew in their direction. Makoto raised his hand and snapped his fingers at the kunais, which broke into a hundred pieces. Two shinobis jumped down from the upper floors to greet them, and Makoto charged at one of them. The shinobi spat a cloud of dust in his direction, and Makoto barely managed to swerve his head to the side to avoid inhaling the substance. Another attempted to engage Ryouta, but Makoto threw himself at her, knocking the both of them aside and sending them crashing onto the ground.

" Go first! I'll catch up later!" Makoto spat.

The rest of them charged up the stairs as Makoto moved into position to block their advance. Ryouta quickly exited staircase the moment he reached the next floor, greeted by 4 shinobis. He waved the rest of them, urging them to continue as he set his hands alight with bright flames. The remaining three charged up the staircase, with Hibiki and Mayuri exiting on the second level.

" Think you can take care of yourself?" Hibiki asked, snickering slightly.

Hayate didn't answer, but merely ran up the stairs. The moment he reached the top floor, something came whizzing past his head. Hayate rolled forwards in the nick of time just to avoid getting consumed in the explosion as the explosive note went off. He raised his katana, which was still in its sheath, to block two on-coming blows. Hayate unsheathed his sword in a flash, and both shinobis retreated slightly, wary of him now that he had puled out his weapon. Behind them stood a bald man who looked utterly terrified of Hayate's presence.

" H-Hayate…you are back….w-what are you doing…?" Daiichi whimpered.

" I am here to end your miserable little life, you piece of shit, and boy, am I going to enjoy it tremendously," Hayate snarled, looking mad with pleasure.

ooo

Clenching her fists, Sora shot towards one of her targets. All five of them spread out at once when she advanced, and the moment she did that, she flung herself to the side, changing her projection towards the one closest to her left. He tried to distract her by throwing two kunais at her. She knocked them both aside, only to find out a second later that the kunais were not to meant to distract her from him.

She found her chest was wrapped in metal chains, held on by two other shinobis. Both of them yanked the chain, and Sora found herself flying through the air, slamming into the wall on the right side. Before she could recover, both of them acted at once, and Sora felt herself slam into the ceiling of the castle, shattered stone crumbling from the damage she made, not before falling back onto the ground.

Suzumi moved to help. Preparing a poison pellet, she flung it towards her enemies, with the intent of setting up posion gas to incapacitate them. However, one of them countered by tossing what looked like two halves of a metal ball. The moment the pellet was in range, the two halves clamped down to seal itself as a metal ball and dropped to the ground, and while some green smoke could be seen hissing out from the edges, he had managed to completely seal her attack.

Suzumi was slightly taken aback when one of them started to charge towards her position. Very hurriedly, Suzumi popped a pill into her mouth, biting on it. Her attacker figured that it was another poison attack, and before she could do anything else, slammed his palm onto her mouth to keep it shut, not before pushing her up against the wall. However, Suzumi's poison worked a little different this time around.

Yellow coloured steam started to rise from her body, and the shinobi pinning her down suddenly realised his mistake. Suzumi had already consumed the poison, and by eating the pill, the substances caused a chain reaction in her body that allowed her skin to emit the poison. Suzumi quickly grabbed his arm and neck to hold him in place as the poison mist started to swarm all around him. The shinobi broke from her grasp as she wasn't physically strong enough to hold him in place, but the damage had been done, even though he had merely taken a whiff of the poison. He doubled over, dropped to the ground and started to cough out blood from his mouth as he spasmed violently.

Sora channeled her sonic energy through her arms, sending them out in a burst. The chains that held her shattered, and Sora jumped to her feet, making sure to keep a good distance between her and Suzumi, just in case she breathed in the poison as well. Suzumi seemed to notice her apprehension, not before replying " Relax, I've administered the antidote to the rest of you last night. All of you are immune to my poison," Suzumi answered, the thick, yellow gas getting thicker and thicker.

" Hoh, that's cool….can you make it thicker?" Sora asked.

" …I get what you are trying to imply, but it will run out faster," Suzumi replied, not before clapping her hands together. " …but it is worth a shot."

The thick yellow gas that was being emitted made Suzumi look like she was dissolving in the gas. The gas started to form a wall all around her, sealing off their attackers from the staircase behind them. The poison gas also functioned well as a smoke bomb, since when Sora moved towards Suzumi's back, she disappeared completely into the smoky, yellow background.

" Ready?" Sora asked, grinning.

" Sure," Suzumi answered, as she started to run towards the enemy shinobis, who were all bracing themselves as she came running towards them, with Sora carefully hidden behind her under the cover of the poison gas surrounding Suzumi.

ooo

Makoto barely flicked his head to the side to avoid behind stabbed from behind, the kunai barely grazing his cheeks. He swiftly grabbed the arm of his attacker and twisted it painfully, forcing her to release the weapon. The moment his grip on the weapon relaxed and the kunai started to fall, Makoto caught it, and turning around, slit the kunoichi's throat. Her eyes widened in shock as he blood started to spray all over him. It didn't faze him in the least, and he kicked her off him, and she toppled over the body of the other kunoichi who he had finished off earlier.

The moment he was done, he started to run up the stairs, knowing that he had to go and help Ryouta quickly, least he got overwhelmed by the enemy. He pretty much leaped up the staircase, taking 4 steps at a time, and he reached the second floor only to see Ryouta setting two unfortunate shinobis aflame, grasping them in his hands as they were reduced to cinders in his hands.

" Hey!" Makoto shouted, forming his seals and firing a powerful blast of wind towards him.

Ryouta probably realized that Makoto had come up to join him already, as he didn't bother to turn around to acknowledge him. He merely snapped his fingers as the wind jutsu went flying beside him, not before turning into an angry vortex of fire when Ryouta added his flames to the jutsu. It shot forward and exploded, sending the remaining two shinobis flying away, their bodies charred from the blast.

" Shit! Ryouta, watch out!" Makoto shouted in alarm.

Makoto's warning was a little too late. Ryouta barely managed to hear the sound of breaking stone when something sharp stabbed him from the back on his left shoulder. An elongated arm had burst through the left wall and stabbed him with a small blade, the arm twisting slightly to dig the blade deeper into Ryouta's shoulder.

Makoto instantly leaped at the arm, threatening to slice it in half. The owner of the lengthened arm somehow managed to sense Makoto arriving, as he withdrew his arm, leaving the blade still sticking out from Ryouta's back, and slid back into the wall where it came from, leaving a hole in its wake. Ryouta roughly reached for the blade and yanked it out.

" Tch, you are not getting away!" Makoto shouted, not before dashing to the opposite side of the wall. Ryouta figured this person could easily move through the walls with some sort of earth jutsu. Makoto flicked out a small blade and infused it with his wind chakra. Ryouta could see him expend the wind blade to the size of a massive broadsword, and once it had taken shape, Makoto sent it piercing through the wall on the opposite side, the wind blade tearing through the wall as if it was paper.

There was an odd spray of blood that burst out from the spot where Makoto had stabbed. Just as he attacked, something burst out of the wall, and Ryouta could see a lengthened hand shoot out and stab him in the right thigh with a kunai. Makoto winced and stumbled slightly, and the other hand came for his throat, which Makoto miraculously caught just before it struck his neck. Ryouta reacted instantly, knowing if Makoto was to lose his footing and slip from the wound on his thigh, things might take a turn for the worst. Ryouta slapped his hands onto the wall, not before saying softly to himself " Fire Release: Intense Cremation Technique!"

The entire wall blew apart, as if Ryouta had set explosives all over the place, and it instantly crumbled all over the place. Makoto felt the tension of his assailant's muscles slack, and he released his grip not before hopping backwards, the wound on his thigh stinging slightly.

" Damn, that son of a bitch was quick," Makoto replied, grimacing slightly.

" Can you still stand?" Ryouta asked.

" Have to, don't I?" Makoto replied, turning around to notice another 4 shinobis heading towards them.

All of a sudden, the entire building rumbled violently, and from the sides, one could hear the rushing sound of flowing water. Some areas were leaking water due to the damage done to the ceiling due to fighting. There was some distant screaming, like the sound of people falling from the top floor.

" Damn, Mayuri's going overboard again," Makoto noted, sighing.

ooo

Hiroshi was a little surprised when he saw the third floor was suddenly flooded with water, as if a waterfall had erupted from the level, the water bursting out from the front side of the building level. A few shinobis fell out from the top floor. Not wanting to take any chances, he used his Archangel to fire a torrent of weapons in their direction. From the blood splatter and their pinned bodies on the wall, Hiroshi managed to nail all of them.

The front of the castle was a scene of a violent massacre. All the 18 blood-nins, including the ones he had just taken out who were falling from the third floor, were now dead, most of them impaled by multiple weapons, and the few who attempted to melee him while inside the Archangel puppet were crushed beyond recognition with his meat-grinding fists. Hiroshi was a little numb from the excessive violence, but that was the purpose in his Archangel, as its function was to be over the top.

He finished up faster than he thought. Most of the Blood-nins stationed outside were too cautious in attempting to fight the monstrosity, so Hiroshi took this opportunity to shower them entirely with his arsenal of weapons in all directions. Shock and panic set into their ranks as he tore them apart, and it was over before he knew it.

He wondered if he was going crazy. Was he somehow enjoying this? The first shinobi which he managed to catch in his puppet's hands was crushed and grinded mercilessly into a pulp, until only a red, squishy mass was left of him. He could have easily snapped his neck and that would have been the end of it, but he felt incomplete without the violence. The strange part was that he knew that there was something wrong with his actions, but he somehow felt the drive to carry out this act. It was like the time when he slaughtered that group of genins.

He wanted to talk to Ryouta about it, but he strangely never brought it up. Suzumi strangely kept silent about the event despite her outbursts earlier when he had carried out the deed, so Hiroshi was in no way compelled to answer for his actions.

" …the hell is wrong with me now?" Hiroshi groaned.

As if to answer him, there was a loud sound of metal grinding against metal which was annoying piercing his eardrums.

Hiroshi was shocked when he took notice of his surroundings. His Archangel's left arm was torn apart, the entire arm missing from the puppet. Hiroshi quickly scanned his surroundings as he sent out chakra strings to pick up the surrounding weapons to replace his arm when he noticed something move on his right, and before he knew it, his right arm was violently yanked off and discarded to the side, compressed into a unusable pile of scrap metal.

" Is this the limit to your power? Was I expecting too much!" a young female voice shouted at him.

He looked at the figure that had magically appeared right in front of him, standing firmly in front of him even though he could easily crush her. Her long red ponytail was swaying with the wind, and she was still dressed in a kimono, a blue one this time with Sakura patterns adorned all over it. Her eyes had this piercing, mad bluish glow, with a spiral pattern on her irises.

" Miyako…" Hiroshi muttered, his fists clenching tightly as he saw her figure.


	30. Chapter 29: Sympathy

**Chapter 29: Sympathy**

" What are you doing here?" Hiroshi shouted at her, his voice annoyed and angry.

" To face you," Miyako answered haughtily.

" Give it up! I remember handing you your ass the last time. Get out of here if you know what is good for you," Hiroshi snapped back.

All of a sudden, his Archangel's head was compressed into a metallic ball 1/8th of its original size, and two of its arms, which Hiroshi had newly replaced, were torn off without effort. Hiroshi was highly alarmed to see chakra strings attached to Miyako's fingers, having taken over his puppet. In his surprise, Hiroshi broke apart from the Archangel and sent the remaining weapons that made up its chest and legs shooting towards Miyako. All the weapons only managed to hit an invisible barrier, and all of them disintegrated into nothing a second later.

Hiroshi thought he was dreaming, but he then realized what she did was make his weapons rust. She must have used a type of jutsu that accelerated chemical reactions, and she oxidized the weapon's metals with the air around her, but the reaction was carried out so fast that the weapons rusted completely, giving him the illusion that she had disintegrated his weapons.

" You insult me! If I remember correctly, I let you off! How conceited, to think you actually had the best of me?" Miyako snarled, her face etched in a very scary frown.

Hiroshi had only experienced this a few times before in his life, but this had to be one of the moments in his life when he actually felt true fear. True, all he did the last time around was actually scare her, and he wasn't sure how he did that. They theorized that she had an ability to analyze, and Hiroshi's unpredictability made him have an advantage over her. However, this was the lone girl that decimated his entire team before he got back to them, so by far, her combat abilities has to be way beyond what he was capable of.

" I see you as an obstacle, a problem…a worthy opponent, if you must insist. I have been puzzling over you for a while now, and I think your very existence irks me!" Miyako snarled, her irises spinning wildly now, the bluish glow looking highly demonic. " I will erase you from existence, Suzuki Hiroshi!"

Hiroshi wasn't sure if he was dreaming things, but Miyako seemed to be crying at this point, tears falling heavily down her cheeks.

ooo

" Tch, I think you just washed all these idiots off the level," Hibiki replied sourly, clicking his tongue after Mayuri had flooded the level and sent all the shinobis flying out the windows, one of them through a wall.

" Don't worry, there are still a few of them around," Mayuri replied, smiling slightly.

There were 5 shinobis standing in front of them. Hibiki barely felt their presence, as if they warped out of nowhere. There was some form of tension in the air with them around, like an electric current running through the space between them.

" Who are you people?" the main one demanded, who looked like the leader of the pack.

" Heh, the audacity of these people. They love screwing with us yet not know who we are. They sure don't know how to pick their enemies, don't they?" Hibiki answered with a mocking grin. Hibiki had yet to even draw his spear, and he made a show of it in front of them. " We are here to kill that bald guy of yours. Happy?"

" Why are you here for Daiichi-sama!" the female among the group shouted out at him.

" Because killing him is our ticket back home," Mayuri answered.

" We won't allow it!" the female shot back.

" You know, if you are his personal guards or something, you are doing a very bad job. The two of us here are not specifically here to kill him. We are actually stalling you idiots," Hibiki replied, not before activating his Windwalker technique. " Good luck trying to get past us to your boss. En garde!"

ooo

The entire building shook slightly, almost as if an earthquake had hit it, but from the sound of rushing water, Hayate could easily figure out what had happened. Mayuri had probably flooded the bottom floor with her water jutsus, which was a quick and effective way of weeding out most of the shinobis. However, her flooding the floor, and more specifically causing the entire building to shake was perfect for Hayate.

The guard never saw it coming as Hayate didn't give him any room to react. As the guard was slightly stunned from the sudden shock, Hayate rushed up towards him, and before he knew it, Hayate had sunk his katana deep into his chest and the blade was retracted before he could blink. The second guard attempted to strike while Hayate was attacking, but Hayate moved with blinding speeds, and his size allowed him to barely dodge the guard's strike as he went for his head. Hayate's counterattack was swift and accurate, neatly severing one of the guard's major arteries on his neck, sending him sprawling onto the ground with blood gushing out from his wound.

" Hayate…w-what are you doing?" Daiichi asked, looking horrified as his two guards were dispatched by Hayate with absolute ease.

" Oh, I thought you would have figured it out by now, but I guess you really don't get it, do you?" Hayate replied, his voice sounding very malicious. " I am here to kill you, you old fart. Anything else you would like to confirm?"

" Why are you doing this? I-I do not understand…Hayate, please…" Daiichi pleaded.

" You knew this was coming all along, you old fart. I mean, you would really have to be a dumb fool to not see it coming, and I really need to give you some credit for it, or else I would have absolutely no respect for you," Hayate replied, chuckling as he slowly advanced towards his uncle, as if he was enjoying this mental torture.

" Please…I have treated you the best…amongst all your family members…" Daiichi pleaded.

" Begging now? You are so pathetic, but keep going…I don't want to stop you, because this is by far the best entertainment I had in my entire life so far, so keep going," Hayate laughed. " No doubt you treated me the best, but since the rest of you treated me like shit, I don't think there is much to compare against, right?"

" But I…"

" Oh, don't you are argue morals with me. You have only been using me to your own benefit. You merely wanted some token of leverage against my father, and I was just that. I was nothing more than leverage to you, like some form of tool. It was just plain hilarious that you could actually think of using me as leverage," Hayate laughed.

" H-Hayate, please…I've…been granting you favours…" Daiichi continued to plead.

" By attempting to get rid of Misato and treating my mother like a whore? I really don't know how you can even call them favours," Hayate laughed.

" …B-But…y-you disliked Misato…you've always…"

" So, disliking someone means you have the right to humiliate the poor girl in public? What a joke! Besides, your idea of humiliating her was to punish her family for attempting to go against you, and you merely used me as a poor excuse for your acts. Even better, you blamed it on me, and now her family thinks I was the one who humiliated her. You were using me as an excuse, my dear, just because of some petty revenge. I must say it worked quite well. Her family hates me until today, and I have to thank you for that," Hayate replied.

" B-but…"

" You know what? I do hate that bitch, for the fact that I was arranged to marry her for political reasons, but I have a reason to not treat her like shit, and I had made a vow to protect her, but you know what? You screwed that all up. I promised someone I would keep her from harm, but you just had to screw that up, didn't you? All because of what, that you had no balls to face her father for humiliating you in the political arena, so you took it all out on a helpless girl? Seriously, you have absolutely no standards at all, you spineless whimp," Hayate snapped.

Daiichi was now reduced to a whimper, slowly backing up the corridor. Hayate knew that there was nowhere for him to run, and he knew that Ryouta and the rest of them would carry out their tasks splendidly, leaving him ample time to torture his uncle slowly, mentally and much later, physically. He would savour this moment, something he had been waiting his whole life to carry out.

" You know, the only people I cared about were Chizuru and my mom. Chizuru is dead, my dad saw to that. My mom…heh, the only reason I was only conceived was for political reasons for my dad. But you know…the only reason that I am still alive today is because she sells her body to various powerful people, the useless lords of this country mostly, to gain political leverage in order to provide safety for me. I live in a dangerous world, everyone in the political arena seems to be out to kill me at the slightest hint of weakness…you should know, I mean, you tried to assassinate me a few times, 4 if you don't count the incident with my father and Aunt Aika," Hayate continued, not before bursting into maniacal laughter. " Look at me, I am trying to make you look more innocent by reducing the number of times I can remember you trying to kill me before. Am I not sympathetic?"

A mere whimper was all Daiichi could afford, not before falling on his backside.

" …There was little a woman like my mother of no standing could do to get leverage in the political world. There were times when I just considered killing myself outright. It would save her all the grief, all the disgusting things she had to do with dirty, perverted old men to keep me safe. I loathed my existence, knowing that it is because of me solely that she lives a life of misery," Hayate continued, his voice a little somber now that he was reminiscing about his mother. " But she was encouraging. She told me over and over again that she was the best thing that ever happened in her life, and all the shit she had to put up was well worth the effort. She always spoke to me like she had this sense of clairvoyance, telling me that in the future, I would change the future of this country for the better, and I trusted her words, hoping one day to make it all true by making her wish come true."

" But you…you were so jealous and jaded. You treated her like she was some fashionable prostitute, and you got angry when she turned down your advances? You are one, sick pathetic man. She slept with powerful people because for political reasons, not because she was some easy woman. What did you have to offer her at that point in time? Nothing…and you aren't even good looking, so I have no idea why you even bothered," Hayate replied. " You know the main reason why she rejected you? You know your former guard Kyosuke? Yeah, the tall, snarky one. He was a mole for my dad…you got that right. My dad would have gone all out to kill you if you did so much as pinch her ass, and my mom knew about him, so the reason why she even rejected you was to keep your God-damn ass safe."

" …You were jealous, thinking that she figured you weren't good enough for her, when all the while she was doing it to protect you. You…painfully tortured her to death. You then humiliated her body by tossing it into a jungle without a proper burial or cremation to be eaten by wild animals. My dad didn't do jack shit because he actually planned on killing her for political reasons in which my mom had outlived her usefulness to him. He already planned on assassinating her the week after, you just carried forward his plan by one week and keeping his hands clean. I don't even know which of you is sicker: the one who was willing to kill his wife, or the one who was willing to kill a woman who rejected his advances? You know what, it must run in the family," Hayate finally concluded.

" …F-Forgive me…I had…n-no idea…"

" Information is power for our village! You are surprisingly dumb for someone coming from this village!" Hayate snarled. " The planning was quite good. You collaborated with this rogue shinobi organization, the 'Hagane', in order to topple my father, and once again using me as you see fit. You used Mai, Masaki, Misa and me to blackmail the Leaf to your advantage, in order to discredit my father with the help of this rogue organization. I didn't know you were this dumb."

" D-dumb?"

" The organisation's name is 'Hagane'. 'Hagane'! I think it should be obvious enough!" Hayate replied.

" I-I don't…"

" What is my surname? For that matter, what is my dad's surname?" Hayate replied. " Are you that dumb? It's so obvious, it's almost laughing in your face. Who the hell do you think is calling the shots for this organization? My dad is practically laughing at your face right now!"

" No…no!" Daiichi exclaimed.

" That's right. The very organization you are using to topple my dad is in fact using you. You are so lame I don't know where to begin," Hayate replied, moving closer.

" P-please…Hayate…I know what I have done wrong, and I know your motivations for doing this. I-I will devote all my time and energy…no, I will do anything, anything at all, to give you what you need…p-please…give me a chance…I will be a powerful ally…I promise," Daiichi exclaimed, sounding very desperate.

Hayate seemed to pause for a bit. " You said…you would do anything, anything at all?" Hayate reconfirmed.

" Y-yes! I swear to God!" Daiichi pleaded.

Hayate merely smiled. " I am after all, merciful…I will hold you to your promise," Hayate replied, raising his katana.

Daiichi wet himself at the sight of the rising blade. " Y-you said…"

" I am always a very understanding man. I am more than willing to accept your promise. But, you aren't going to go back on your promise, are you?" Hayate asked.

" What are you doing?" his uncle cried in alarm.

" Killing you, of course," Hayate replied.

" But you said…"

" Don't you get it? You will serve me in the best possible way by dying in a horrible death. Once you die, my plan is set into motion, and the roulette will not stop. Killing you will change this country, so be proud…you are a mere pawn in my grand master scheme," Hayate replied.

" …D-don't be foolish! I am the only thing that is keeping you alive at this point in time!" Daiichi exclaimed.

" Foolish? Me? I hardly think so. Be thankful…you were one of the most despicable men alive, and yet here I am, about to kill you to include you in my grand master plan. You should thank me, cretin!" Hayate howled as he brought the katana down onto his helpless uncle.

ooo

Without thinking, Hiroshi dropped a couple of smoke bombs onto the ground, and the blast covered him in smoke. Miyako leaped at him nevertheless, jumping through the blurry fog. Hiroshi twisted himself, barely avoiding her outstretched hands. Hiroshi kept skipping backwards, trying to place as much distance as he possibly could between the two of them.

He had to act fast. He had no idea where Miyako had her training, but her capabilities were beyond normal. Hiroshi's heart was racing madly, for the fact that he was fighting a monster, and he was doing this alone. _No, if I am fighting this monster, it would be best to be alone…_Hiroshi thought.

All of a sudden, a pair of arms caught his left arm. To Hiroshi's horror, Miyako was right next to him, gripping his left arm with her right and swinging her other arm twards his head. Reflexively he blocked the strike; his fortified puppet arm was able to stand the blow, which would have shattered the bones of the arm of a normal person. Hiroshi fired his left arm out, pushing Miyako back, not before exploding in a torrent of weapons kept hidden with seals inside of it. Miyako seemed to warp out of existence, standing unharmed some distance away. _Body flicker technique…no, this is something beyond that…_Hiroshi thought.

A sudden wave of guilt washed over him. _What am I thinking? I need to stop her here and now! If she gets past me, none of the rest of my comrades will stand a chance against her…_Hiroshi thought quietly.

In an instant, the moment he detached his left arm, he quickly pulled out a replacement arm from a scroll and attached it back. Miyako looked like she was about to charge at him, but Hiroshi merely raised both arms at her, flaps opening up and pointing towards her, prepared to fire weapons at her at any given notice. Miyako paused slightly, waiting for Hiroshi to fire, but nothing came out.

" Gotcha…" Hiroshi replied, smirking slightly.

" What are you implying?" Miyako asked.

" Your ability. It's based on analysis. On what you can see, hear, smell and touch. All your reactions are based on your enemy's actions. To be more precise, you excel in counterattacks. Let's say I pull out a windmill shuriken right now. You will be able to calculate all the directions and trajectory of the weapon in the case if I throw it to you, but that is only if I pull out a windmill shuriken. Since I have yet to draw a weapon, you have yet to react," Hiroshi answered.

" …I…I am just gauging your abilities…" Miyako replied, but Hiroshi knew he had her.

" Rubbish. Your fighting capabilities are way beyond mine, so what exactly is there to gauge? You know what, if what you said about your past is true, then I suppose you never had any real shinobi training. All your abilities were based off what you managed to pick up and what you could analyse with those eyes of yours. It has come to a point that you have become too reliant on that technique," Hiroshi replied.

Miyako merely winced, not before grabbing her head in pain.

" Yeah, that's right. Sora did theorise something interesting. Activating your eyes puts a strain on your body. I don't really need to do anything now, since all I need to do is to wear your out just by standing here," Hiroshi replied. " In fact, you are trying to get one step ahead of me. You are trying to read my facial expressions to determine what I am about to use. Nice try, and I am quite impressed, to be able to determine what I think using facial expressions alone. Too bad I have an arsenal of a hundred over weapon types, a good quarter of them are weapons you have never laid eyes on, and I am running the entire selection though my head, and your brain is having difficulty keeping up!"

Hiroshi wasn't lying. While he was talking to keep her distracted, he was running through his head his entire arsenal of weapons he kept in his puppet arms, which was a good 100 different types. He had no idea it would be this effective, but his methods were working.

" Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Miyako screamed loudly, her eyes flashing dangerously. " I'm going to kill you!"

Something flew out from Miyako's hand, and it struck Hiroshi straight in the face. Miyako had picked up one of the weapons that Hiroshi had placed on the ground prior to their fight, and she had somehow managed to pick it up without setting off any traps and threw it at Hiroshi's face. However, the result was not as she expected.

There was this odd tear on Hiroshi's face, and beneath it was a face of a faceless puppet.

" What! When did he?" Miyako exclaimed, spinning around when there was a sound of a sharp rustle behind her.

It was only a weapon.

Miyako was suddenly wrapped around in thick metal wires. The puppet shot out a whole slew of metal wires and tied her in place. Pinning down her limbs, Miyako could not help but drop unceremoniously onto the ground.

" …You…" Miyako gasped, looking angrily back at the puppet.

" Trickery is my forte," the puppet replied, not before peeling off the mask on its face to reveal it was still Hiroshi and not some puppet. " I took advantage of your panic, knowing that you must figure that I was hiding somewhere else to ambush you when you thought I was a puppet."

Miyako seemed to soften when he spoke to her, not before smiling serenely at him. " …Heh…hahaha…I guess I could not do it after all…" Miyako spoke quietly, and to Hiroshi's horror, started to vomit out blood.

" Miyako!" Hiroshi cried in alarm.

" What is this? Why are you showing an enemy pity? You are one strange man," Miyako replied, almost mockingly as Hiroshi started to take off the wire wrapping her body. " This…behavior is so irksome…"

" What?" Hiroshi exclaimed.

" Why are you showing me..sympathy?" Miyako asked.

" …Because I think you are fighting for the wrong side," Hiroshi answered.


	31. Chapter 30: End of the Line

**Chapter 30: End of the Line**

The shinobis backed off while throwing kunais at Suzumi. Suzumi didn't bother with them, since Sora easily took care of them by knocking them aside as she continued to run forward. Two of them formed their seals, ready to unleash their jutsus to stop Suzumi from advancing, but something popped up from behind them from the ground. Sora then proceeded to slam her fists onto the ground, sending out a massive shockwave, sending ripples of shockwaves tearing through the ground. All the enemy shinobis jumped aside to avoid the shockwave, most of them hitting the ceiling and staying there, but Sora had other ideas.

She reached up and yanked on an invisible string, and all of a sudden, Suzumi was yanked from her spot and she shot across the corridor, all the while spreading her poison gas from her body. The poison started to diffuse across the room as was pulled past the corridor, to their opponents horror as the fumes started to kill them slowly as one by one they started to drop down like flies, writhing in agony.

" Heh, such pathetic wimps," Sora replied, grinning happily. " Well, guess your poisons really did the trick."

" Yeah, but it's sort of running out now," Suzumi replied. As she spoke, the fumes started to stop being emitted from her body, and soon enough, the corridor was clean of any trace of it. " Should we go find the rest of them?"

" I suppose we could. I don't think I can hear anything coming from the outside, so Hiroshi must be finished on his end, so the rest of our enemies are upstairs," Sora replied. Putting Suzumi back down on her feet, both of them rushed towards the stairs and headed upstairs.

The second level was slightly chaotic. Both of them spotted Ryouta and Makoto at the distance, fighting off a couple of shinobis, while a number of bodies lay on the ground. Ryouta was snapping his fingers as powerful flames started to shoot out from his fingertips, while Makoto was lashing about, using his wind blades to tear down walls, trying to hit one shinobi who was dodging behind rooms.

Sora's movements took Makoto's enemy by surprise. As she sprung on him out of nowhere, she caught him from behind, tapping his back lightly while blowing his guts out using a sonic blast. She then proceeded to fly towards Ryouta's opponent, slamming into him just as he dodged an on-coming blast of fire, breaking his spine in the progress.

" What the hell are you doing here?" Ryouta snapped at her, slightly annoyed to see her.

" You guys are wimps. I've dealt with the bottom floor already, and seeing that you idiots are sporting some injuries, I figured you losers need some help," Sora replied. " No need to thank me!"

" We won't," Makoto assured her, not before suddenly looking at the ceiling. " Back up!"

As soon as he spoke, the ceiling above them started to crash, but all of them were at some safe distance when the ceiling dropped. A lone enemy shinobi dropped down from above, coming into plain view of all of them. Before any of them could react, a spear shot out from upstairs, hitting the guy straight in his chest.

" Sorry about that. He was getting away, so I had to take drastic measures," Hibiki replied, as he could be seen from the damaged ceiling above.

" Are you nuts? You could have hit us," Makoto replied incredulously.

" Actually, it was me who did that," Mayuri replied, her head popping up to allow them to see her.

" Then it's fine, I suppose," Makoto replied, sighing slightly.

" God damned double standards," Hibiki spat, although he was grinning despite saying those words.

" You alright?" Makoto asked Mayuri, noticing that she had a pretty bad cut on her head and half her face was covered in blood.

" Well, I did trip somewhat. And I feel a little dizzy now~" Mayuri answered, although from the tone of her voice, nobody was sure if she was joking or serious.

" I'll check on it, just to make sure," Suzumi replied, jumping up to the third level, and checking on Mayuri's wound.

" Thanks~" Mayuri cooed.

" Hiroshi is finished with the guys located at the gate," Makoto replied, sensing the exterior of the castle with his hearing. " Now, we need to check on…"

" Don't bother. I am already done with business," Hayate spoke as he entered the third level. He looked very messed up, with blood covering his entire body, which wasn't his. " I have just finished off my uncle. I guess this means we wrap have wrapped up this particular problem. Game over! And thank you for your help."

" What happens now?" Ryouta asked.

" Lots of things. Now without my uncle holding us back, I can explain it to the authorities of my village. Only problem is that they would still dislike it if you come out into the open. Let me speak to my father to arrange things, and once things are sorted out, I'm sure you can then head back to your home village. I'll arrange for a place for the rest of you to stay to get some rest while I sort this matter out with my dad. How does that sound?" Hayate answered.

ooo

Miyako continued to violently cough out blood, and Hiroshi was slightly alarmed at the developments. A soft glow of chakra was running through his hands as he tried to check on Miyako's vital systems, and to his horror, they seem to be failing. Her organs were mysteriously going hay-wire all of a sudden, despite him not being able to detect anything out of the ordinary, but he could venture a good guess.

" Stop using your bloodline ability! It's killing you, isn't it?" Hiroshi exclaimed.

" …I don't want to…" Miyako gasped quietly.

" What the hell are you talking about?" Hiroshi demanded.

" …My ability is very interesting. What it does specifically is accelerate my processing ability of my brain. It calculates moves, takes in external factors, allow me to see what the enemy is up to, and not to mention learn things quickly, although being a genius, self-proclaimed, does help. This ability is so broken I have yet to lose a fight with anyone so far, save for perhaps an army of shinobis where the variables are too much to read and beyond my body's capability to handle, or when I am too tired, with the odd exception of you..." Miyako replied. " In short, when I have it on, against any opponent, I'm close to invincible. There is one funny drawback."

" My ability is activated in my brain. When active, it fires way more chakra circuits throughout my brain, making the processing speed insanely fast. But, the draws the chakra circuits flow from all my other organs. Thus, it's like it shuts down my internal organs save for the important ones that I need to still function while in a fight, like my heart, lungs and muscle, while deteriorating the rest. Over time, activating this ability will just slowly kill me," Miyako answered.

" Then stop using it! Are you trying to kill yourself?" Hiroshi exclaimed.

" If not what then?" Miyako asked, and from the look on Hiroshi's face it showed that he wasn't sure what she was talking about. " My entire clan was wiped out because of our abilities. Just having this ability alone is justification to kill me. Even if not, no village would willingly accept me. If you say that where I belong now is the wrong place for me to be, then tell me where should I go. Where can I find a place I can call home?"

" …I don't know…" Hiroshi gasped.

Miyako slammed her palm on his gut, her fingers digging painfully into his flesh. Hiroshi winced as despite her situation, Miyako was still powerful enough to deal a world of hurt even in her condition. Even with blood dripping from her mouth, she managed to get up while her fingers were firmly stuck in his gut.

" How naïve. What are you, some righteous avatar of justice? You are just a lone man. The shinobi world hates my guts, and you tell me I am on the wrong side? That my actions are morally incorrect? What a joke! My family died for an ability none of us wished for, and the shinobi world managed to convince everyone we were monsters," Miyako replied while digging her fingers deeper into his gut. " If I am wrong, then tell me who is right?"

" …The world…is not always perfect…nobody is…" Hiroshi replied, gasping slightly. " …But being punished for something you did not do does not justify doing it to others. Two wrongs don't make a right!"

" Then, what are you suggesting?" Miyako yelled at him, not before coughing out more blood. However, her grip on him did not waver at all.

" My country is never always correct. We always try to fly some banner of justice, but it's merely for our own justification. We lie, cheat, steal and kill people for our own benefit. I am no saint either. I have killed people over the course of my career, some of them included innocents like mothers and children," Hiroshi answered. " But…I've tried to live my life with some level of decency…something to keep me human…"

" I know you…the way you spoke to me the first time we met…you aren't…like these people you are with. I am pitying you, if you want to put it bluntly…" Hiroshi replied.

Hiroshi felt a sudden jolt, and he was suddenly thrown backwards violently. Blood was seeping out from the puncture wounds caused by Miyako's fingers. Groaning in pain, Hiroshi slowly picked himself up as he looked at Miyako, the eyes losing their bluish glow as she disabled her technique.

" Leave…" she replied.

" …What?" Hiroshi gasped.

" Leave this place. I have no idea why you all wanted to head this way. This was the most dumbest act you managed to carry out," Miyako replied. " Leave. If you are nice enough to sympathise with me, then this is my way of saying thank you."

" Wait, please explain yourself," Hiroshi replied, picking himself up.

" The organization which you have been searching and fighting for, is called the 'Hagane'," Miyako replied. " Their headquarters is based in the Blood-nin Village. You have been walking towards our headquarters ever since you left your country. You think me finding you in that town was a coincidence? You were walking right towards us."

Hiroshi's eyes widened in shock. " No, but we came here…"

" Merely on the spoken word of a boy from the Blood-nin village. You really trust him that much?" Miyako asked.

Hiroshi paused. She was right. This entire journey hanged on the fact that what Hayate said was true. Was all this some ruse?

" Do you know what he is up to exactly?" Miyako asked.

" …No…" Hiroshi replied.

" Then I'll explain everything to you. Once I am done, I'll let you decide whether or not to believe me, and if you do, I'll let you choose what course of action to take next," Miyako replied.

ooo

" Hey, is it just me or does Hiroshi look like he is hurt?" Sora quizzed.

Slightly alarmed, Ryouta and Hibiki rushed towards where Hiroshi was, leaning against the wall of the front gate, clutching his stomach as if he was in pain. They had just swept the castle to makes sure that it was clear of any danger, and since Makoto said Hiroshi managed to clear out the front compound, they figured Hiroshi was doing fine, and it didn't occur to them that he could have been hurt in the process.

" You alright? Sorry about that, we seemed to have forgotten about you while we were being caught up in the moment while we were inside," Hibiki apologized.

" Don't worry about it…just slipped up a little bit, nothing life threatening…" Hiroshi replied, his face a little pale. After Miyako had told him what she knew, almost very reluctantly, she left the place, leaving Hiroshi standing there in a mess. He wasn't sure if he wanted to say that she came around, or to disclose all the information he had managed to get from her to his comrades just yet, so he quickly tried to heal his injuries and clean himself to make it look like nothing serious had happened.

" Pfft, slipped up, did he? You deserved to get your ass handed to you," Sora snapped.

" Aww…that's cold…Hiroshi got hurt bad for handling the bulk of their forces by himself. You could cut him some slack," Mayuri objected.

" And be soft on him? Please…" Sora groaned.

" Sora..." Ryouta started, turning back to her when she spoke those harsh words, but he felt Hiroshi's hand on his shoulders, stopping him.

" No, she's right. I was careless, and besides, despite what she says, Sora is caring in her own very caustic way. Also, I said I am fine, the injury is nothing serious, I can assure you," Hiroshi replied. " Well, from the looks of it, we seem to be successful. Congratulations, I guess. What's the plan from now on?"

" Rest," Hayate replied, speaking up. " I find you all a place to rest, and while you are comfortably recouperating, I'll go and find my father and sort things out. When I am done, you all can safely go back to your villages."

" …Sounds like a plan," Hiroshi replied.

" Also, here…" Hayate replied, passing the katana he had back to Hiroshi. " I appreciate you lending me this weapon. I won't need it where I am going anymore, so you can have it back."

Hiroshi looked at the katana, not before pushing it back to Hayate. " …Keep it…consider it a gift from me…" Hiroshi replied.

" …Very well, I appreciate it," Hayate replied sarcastically, grinning at him. " Come, let's go. We need to pick up Mai and Masaki before they started betting worried about what has happened to all of us."

All of them started to move, with Hayate and Ryouta taking the front, while Hiroshi and Sora slowly stayed around it they were at the rear end of the group. Sora looked at Hiroshi, who looked back, not before winking at him.

" Thanks for the distraction," Hiroshi whispered.

" No problem," Sora answered back in a whisper as well. " …Miyako was here, wasn't she?"

" Yeah, and she told my some disturbing yet illuminating information," Hiroshi answered.

" …What about?"

" Not in front of Hayate. When he's not around," Hiroshi answered quickly.

" …Alright," Sora answered, as both of them tried to keep up with the rest of them.

ooo

" Well, this will have to do for now. It's a little run down, but it's some form of shelter anyway," Hayate replied.

Hayate led them towards a village some distance away from the castle. It was a farming village, most of the villagers now busy with their work in the fields. A number of villagers waved and smiled at him when they spotted him, and he casually waved back as well. He took them to a small shack at the outskirts of the village which no one inhabited from the looks of it. Still, it was relatively clean and comfortable, and most of them were very tired from the journey and the fight, so they didn't really want to complain about it anyway.

" Nice…I really need a break," Ryouta sighed, dropping himself in the middle of the shack, lying comfortably on the ground.

" Oi, don't take the middle space for yourself!" Sora snapped.

" I suppose most of you are hungry. Shall I go cook something?" Hiroshi asked.

" Yes, please!" Hibiki, Mayuri and Sora replied in unison.

" Well, enjoy yourselves for a bit. I'll be back by hopefully tomorrow," Hayate replied, not before looking at Masaki and Mai. " Come on, let's go."

" Are we leaving now? I'm tired," Masaki complained.

" We need to go now. You don't want your parents to worry any longer, right?" Hayate chided. Masaki grumbled slightly, but he got up and followed Mai who exited the shack as well. As he was about to exit, he spoke to Hiroshi " Hiroshi, if you would, can I have a word with you for a moment, please?"

Hiroshi raised his eyebrows, following him as the rest of his comrades were chatting amongst themselves or were taking naps. Upon exiting the shack, Hayate turned to him and said " …You do know what I am planning to do with the rest of you, correct? I believe Miyako has told you that much," Hayate spoke to him.

Hiroshi jerked slightly, but Hayate was quick to placate him by continuing quickly. " Do not be alarmed. Whether or not you know my plan does not matter to me. If you all have been suspecting that I had some ulterior motive and I was hiding it, this is exactly why. But, do know that my entire plan hinges on whether or not you all want to accept it or not. If you do not want to participate in my little game, then you don't need to," Hayate answered. " My only wish is that you only disclose the information to your friends later tonight, perhaps after dinner."

" You have to be joking with me? Why should I bother? You are just using us!" Hiroshi snapped.

" As I said, whether you want to participate in my plan is entirely up to you. If you don't want to, you can just leave. I'm not asking you to stay," Hayate replied.

" Still doesn't explain why the hell I have to wait till nighttime," Hiroshi answered.

" Because if you rat on me and on the off chance the rest of them decide that they do want to be part of my plan, you will kill an innocent girl, someone I care about," Hayate answered. " Whether you believe me or not is entirely up to you, but the reason I am doing this is for her sake, that's all. Even if you hate my guts, I'd be really appreciative if you could humour me, just this once."

" …Is this the girl you are engaged to?" Hiroshi asked.

" …Yes, in a way," Hayate answered.

" …Okay, but only till 9 pm. I won't wait any longer," Hiroshi replied.

" 8 p.m. is fine with me, but up to you," Hayate replied, not before walking off with Mai and Masaki in tow.

ooo

" Ah, home sweet home. Feels good to be back," Hayate replied as he entered his village. He looked at the tall skyscrapers that towered over him, almost blocking out all the sun from view. " This place still looks like shit. I don't even know why I am back here."

" You can't have it your way all the time," Masaki replied, sighing loudly.

" Truer words have not been spoken before," Hayate replied, not before continuing on his way, Masaki following by his side. However, he seemed to notice that Mai had stopped moving, stationing herself in the middle of the road. " Is there something wrong, Mai?"

" …This is wrong…why are we doing this?" Mai replied.

" We are doing this because this country needs to change, and I am going to forcibly change it before it falls to pieces," Hayate replied.

" But…"

" Someone has to do it. If nobody wants to, then I will. To be honest, I hate this country, but I still have enough patriotism to not want it to just die out in such a fashion," Hayate answered. " Enough, ghosts of the past should not try to convince me otherwise."

He clasped his hands together, and all of a sudden, Mai and Masaki disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving no trace of them behind. " Perhaps I am a sentimental fool," Hayate quietly spoke to himself. " Forgive me, I will see you all again when this is over. There are a few things which I need to settle first."


	32. Chapter 31: Hayate

**Chapter 31: Hayate**

Hayate quietly strolled through a cemetery. A few people could be seen out and about, half of the offering a quiet prayer to someone they knew who was buried here. Hayate passed through all the tombstones with mild disinterest, heading for part of the graveyard located at the far, rear end. This section was cordoned off, separated from most of the rest, as if to indicate it was special. It was in a way, as this was the burial site for some of the Blood village's lords.

Hayate squatted down rudely in front of two of them, while a couple of elderly ladies looked at him with disapproving looks and left the area. He looked at the familiar names on the two tombstones, one of them was slightly of age while another looked almost brand new. He slipped out the katana that Hiroshi gave him and placed it on the older tombstone.

" Here, a small gift from me. You always liked swords, and I can assure you that this one is top notch. You'll like it," Hayate replied. " Sorry I haven't been visiting for a while, but I can assure you that after this that won't be the case. I'm sure Masaki, Mai and Misa are already busy keeping you company, so you won't be bored, just yet."

" I have to apologise though, I never did manage to keep your promise. Ever since my mom died, I thought I had learned from my mistakes, but that didn't seem to be the case," Hayate apologized.

" As for you," he snapped, turning to the newer tombstone. " You are the reason I couldn't keep my promise, and you know what, it was entirely your fault. You had to poke your nose into people's business…see where that got you…no, I'm not going to feel sorry for you. Dunno why I am here talking to you in the first place."

Hayate sighed, looking at the two tombstones. " Everything is set. My pieces are in play, and when I am done, our country will change, for the better. It will, my plans never fail, regardless of how grand they are. I guess the only regret I have is that none of you idiots will manage to see it come to pass…well, not in the mortal realm, that is," he replied, not before getting to his feet and walking away. " I take my leave now, ladies…I have to go see my old man."

With that, Hayate walked off, smiling to himself as he left the cemetery.

ooo

He walked quietly along the roads, reaching a tall building that reach into the sky. Hayate looked at the skyscraper, able to make out the top at the distance where it looked like it was reaching the sky. As he approached the building, two shinobi popped out of nowhere. Hayate merely walked past them as they were sliced into a hundred pieces leaving only a messy pile behind.

He opened the front door, and another 5 shinobis greeted him. Hayate looked almost bored when he walked past them and they too were sliced into a hundred pieces each. More shinobi guards popped out from the shadows, but a sudden loud voice exploded into the area.

" Stop!" the voice commanded.

The shinobis that appeared came to a halt, and so did Hayate as he looked up to an upper landing to see who had spoken. A royal looking lady looked down towards Hayate, and Hayate merely grinned mischievously at her.

" Well, well, well…look at who showed up. My dad's whore," Hayate snapped.

" I see that your tongue is just as witty as ever," the lady snarled at him.

" Ah, how rude. Where are my manners?" Hayate replied sarcastically. " May I go see my father, bitch?"

The lady merely glared at him, not before giving a wave of her hand. The shinobis made way for Hayate, and he moved on, not before showing a rude gesture with his hand towards the lady. He headed towards the back of the building, where the lift was located. Entering it, he hit the top button and waited for it to reach the top floor.

It didn't take long. When he reached the top floor, When he exited, he was greeted by the familiar site of a large, oversized office. Large mural paintings adorned the room, the massive mix of the red and gold colours were almost hypnotizing. A man could be seen sitting on a desk at the faraway corner of the office, with a glass panel next to him to allow one to observe the city that was spread out below. A lone kunoichi could be seen next to him, serving him as his secretary.

" Welcome back, I almost missed you," the man spoke sarcastically.

" Go to hell, old man," Hayate spat.

" Now, now…is this the way you are supposed to speak to your father?" The man asked, smiling at Hayate. He stood up and started to stroll around the room. " I am most amused. My people have told me that the castle where my dear younger brother stays is now in ruins, all his personal dead, and him too. He was most certainly killed, and wound marks showed that it was your doing."

" Yeah…what, you actually want confirmation of what I did? Well, I killed that old fart, 13 slashes did the trick," Hayate replied, grinning happily. " You know that I am not lying."

" I understand that it was you. My question is: why?" his father asked as he continued to stroll along the office.

" I do not get you," Hayate replied.

His father paused and looked at Hayate. " Hayate, you do know that your uncle was the only sole reason that you are alive up until now. Now, with him out of the picture, I am free to get rid of you, because you are a hindrance to my plans," his father spoke coldly.

" Just like mom was," Hayate chuckled.

" Mom was a little more tricky due to the influence she had to the local lords…but thankfully, your uncle saw to that. I must admit, due to his actions, I am almost eternally grateful to him," his father answered, starting to stroll the office once more. The kunoichi merely kept her eyes on Hayate, who ignored her presence. " You have faith in your new-found friends, do you? Your 'allies' you brought back from the Leaf and Sand. You think they would be willing to 'handle' me?"

" As a matter of fact, I do," Hayate replied.

" But you are wrong!" his father bellowed, his voice echoing all over the office. " You are so mistaken, Hayate. I know all the details about them. I know all the information there is for them. If they are stupid enough, and I don't think they are, to consider coming to find me, I can simply make them an offer you cannot refuse. That is the power of information."

" You think you know them better than I do?" Hayate replied. " You've lost it, old man. By the time the night is over, you will be a dead man."

All of a sudden, his father leaped at him, grabbing him roughly by the neck, and looking at him straight in the eye. Hayate merely chuckled as he did that, and there was a look of fear in his father's s eyes.

" Yeah, that's right. You have absolutely nothing to threaten me with. Guess you should have kept Chizuru in reserve, didn't you, at the very least?" Hayate replied, not before breaking out into maniacal laughter.

ooo

Night had fallen over the place, and Hiroshi had waited long enough. It was time to tell the rest of his comrades what he knew. All of them were eating dinner in the middle of the shack, talking to one another. Hiroshi took a deep breath and joined up with them.

" Guys, I've something to talk to you all about," Hiroshi replied.

" It's about Hayate, right?" Ryouta ventured.

" Yeah…" Hiroshi answered.

" Okay…tell us what he told you," Makoto replied.

" He didn't exactly tell me anything, just reconfirmed what I have been informed," Hiroshi replied, sighing loudly as he took a seat. " I really don't know where to begin with. All of this is just so confusing."

Nobody interrupted him, but merely watched as he took his time to collect his thoughts.

" The Blood-nin village is in chaos. There have been a lot of internal feuds going on in the village, and it doesn't help that the current leadership is actually bringing the economy of the country to ruins. Hayate is apparently not originally from the Blood-nin village. He was from a small elite shinobi clan, the Kobayashi clan, which was forcefully absorbed into the Blood-nin village," Hiroshi replied. " The reason why it was forcefully absorbed was that their leader, Hagane Juuzou, infiltrated and raped Kobayashi Megumi, who was the daughter of the main family of the shinobi clan. Now that she was siring his child, Juuzou staked a claim on him, demanding that he was to be given his son back or he would wage war against the clan. Megumi, who was afraid of the annihilation of their clan, and for her unborn child, agreed to become his wife in exchange for her people's safety."

" That is one sick shit," Mayuri muttered, her face looking distasteful. " How can the Blood-nins even accept this?"

" Because of legends. The Blood-nins believe that only their royal leader can lead them. They believe that the bloodline of their leaders will allow for the safety of their people. There were two occasions where they were led by people who was not of the royal bloodline, and those two times the village was almost led to ruin. The people of this country are obsessed that only a figure who has the royal bloodline passed down through him or her are fit to lead the country," Hiroshi explained.

" Now, Hagane Juuzou has not been able to have a child, and this has caused worry over who would be fit to lead his country into the next generation. However, this is merely a ploy as Juuzou is not infertile, but is purposely preventing himself from getting a child, because this allows him greater monopoly to his own country. He used this as a tactic to absorb the Kobayashi clan as he knew his people were more than willing to die to allow their village to have a heir," Hiroshi continued.

" This village is more messed up than I thought," Sora replied, chuckling as she finished the rest of her porridge meal.

" All villages have their own dark secrets, even ours," Makoto answered, before turning to Hiroshi. " Go on."

" The reason why Juuzou did this was because of the skills the Kobayashi clan possessed. What it was specifically, I do not know, since despite being a descendent of the clan from his mother's side, Hayate has none of their abilities. However, once he actually got them, he sort of presented him with a problem. As the new heir, Hayate was now posed to be the next leader, and when he becomes of age, he could very easily convince the people that it was his right to take his father's place," Hayate answered. " Thus, a violent power struggle began, with most of the country torn between maintaining the status quo Juzzou had or preparing themselves to accept their new leader, Hayate. As such, his father had attempted to assassinate his own son over the years."

" No wonder he had issues," Hibiki muttered.

" How'd he manage to stay alive all this while? I mean, if his father is the leader and he wants to kill him so much…" Ryouta mused.

" His uncle," Hiroshi answered.

" What does his uncle have to do with anything?" Sora asked.

" Did you forgot about the bloodline issue? His uncle shares the same bloodline as he does, as has about the same authority as his father does, albert at a much lower level. His uncle was using him as leverage and protection. If his father assassinated him, his uncle could use it as an excuse to wage a civil war against his father," Hiroshi replied.

The realization dawned on them.

" Hang on, didn't we just killed his uncle? I mean, what the hell did we do that for it that was the only thing protecting him?" Mayuri exclaimed.

" What Hayate told us about his uncle trying to use us as leverage was a lie. What he said about him being kidnapped was a lie. He orchestrated all of that to bring us here. In fact, he was using the information from the organization that is trying to kidnap Suzumi to make his kidnapping more believable," Hiroshi answered.

" How is he even able to do that?" Ryouta asked.

" Simple: the organization that we have been engaged in ever since we first encountered them when we were genins, the ones who attempted to kidnap us when we were genins and the ones who attempted to assassinated Lady Kaguya, is led than none other than Hagane Juuzou, his father," Hiroshi replied.

" What the f…?"

" If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Our sensei Shikimaru mentioned that it is most likely funded by a shinobi village, given the size of the organization. The Blood-nin village specializes in information, not to mention the spread of information, which helps in their case, not to mention using information to hide themselves," Hiroshi replied.

" Wait…hang on a minute…I read a mission report about the Blood-nin village once from a friend of mine who was posted overseas. He noted that for a few years now, the expenditure of the Blood-nin village is far surpassing their income, but they are still functioning well despite the economic setback," Hibiki noted.

" Most likely they are getting their funds from their organization, which is known as the 'Hagane'. It's like their own private army. Hayate used the information about this organization, and used its plans to further his own, to make it looked like it had been orchestrated by his uncle," Hiroshi answered.

" While this is interesting and all, this still doesn't explain Hayate's motives," Ryouta spoke up. " And what about Masaki and Mai?"

" They don't exist," Hiroshi replied.

" What do you mean…?"

" They were merely shadow clones, made by Hayate. He merely created copies of people, perhaps of people he knew or old deceased friends to make his story more believable. Ever noticed despite sleeping so much during our travels he seems so lethargic when he wakes up…that's cos he's been keeping his shadow clones active," Hiroshi replied.

" They were shadow clones? But…they were almost…like different people," Sora mused. " Heck, Mai even argued with him."

" I know…part of the disguise…" Hiroshi replied.

" His motives?" Ryouta repeated.

" What Hayate intends to do is to destroy the elements that are screwing around with this country, which are basically his uncle and his father. Eliminating them both would fix problems, but which may or may not cause internal turmoil in this country," Hiroshi replied.

" …He's going to assassinate his father?" Mayuri asked. " I have absolutely no idea how is he going to do this."

" No, he has no intention of doing that," Hiroshi answered. " He's hoping we are up to the task."

" And what is he going to do?" Hibiki exclaimed.

" He's going to kill himself…more specifically, allow his dad to do so," Hiroshi replied.

There was a significant pause.

" What, why? If so, why didn't he tell us?" Sora asked.

" There is a reason, apparently. He is engaged to one of the daughters of a local lord. It wasn't his choice, the young girl apparently did it so that her family's influence might protect him. The girl was doing it for her sister's sake, who used to take care of Hayate when he was young. Initiating the attack before this would allow her family to be used as bait in order to stop him. Once he is out of the picture, they will not be harmed since they could not be used as leverage against himself," Hiroshi replied.

" Why can't he get the girl out of this place? Can I assume this would be difficult to do?" Mayuri asked.

" Yes, but for much different reasons than you actually guessed. The girl's dead. She passed away about 2 weeks ago," Hiroshi answered.

" Wait, then there is nothing holding him back?" Mayuri exclaimed.

" Her family still is. He tried to keep it hidden, because when his father caught wind of her death, he would be one step closer to killing him. So, he took a gamble by managing to sneak through the headquarters of his father's shinobi organization, get details of their missions, and form up a plan of his own," Hiroshi answered.

" …Which was?"

" To use us, because he's banking on us to kill his dad. A plan had been set up to kidnap Suzumi, and he merely played along to bring us here," Hiroshi answered.

" Why the hell would we be interested in getting this deep into their affairs? I mean, assassinating his uncle was already pushing it," Hibiki noted.

" Because his dad was the ultimate prize," Ryouta replied.

" What?" Hibiki spat.

" Haven't you been keeping up? Juuzou Hagane is the leader of the organization that has been plaguing the major countries, especially us, for over a decade now. He is the endgame. Taking him out of the equation would essentially destroy the organization to a certain level. We would instantly crush the organization we have been chasing for over 10 years now, since we were genins," Sora exclaimed.

" ….Unbelievable," Makoto replied.

Ryouta was pondering on this information. " …And how did you come by this information?" Ryouta asked. " While I'd like to believe you and all, this information is almost as crazy as it sounds."

" Miyako told me, and Hayate just confirmed it before he left," Hiroshi answered.

" She told you? When?" Hibiki exclaimed.

" During our attack on his uncle's castle. She met with me just after I finished wiping the exterior," Hiroshi answered.

" And you didn't tell us?" Ryouta asked, raising an eyebrow.

" I didn't want to discuss it with Hayate around, and before he left, he confirmed with me what I knew and merely asked till he had done his business to withhold this information," Hiroshi replied.

There was another significant pause.

" …Pinch me, I must be dreaming this shit up," Hibiki moaned.

" Is that the only thing you can come up with?" Sora groaned.

" One thing still puzzles me: why now? Why can't Hayate just tell us that his dad is behind all this? Why bring us here before giving us this information?" Mayuri asked.

" …I can think of a few reasons," Makoto replied. " Let's say he came to our village and told us this information, to actually actively retaliate against his dad would mean full-scale war, and there is no guarantee that we can win, since we will be breaking most of the treaties we made with the northern smaller villages, especially the Steel-nins, who will join the Blood-nins in the war. Plus, the only reason why we are so deep into this country is because Hayate is familiar with this place."

" Another would be probably a psychological reason," Ryouta noted. " Considering now that you know this fact, we are probably very tempted to kill this bastard just because we are so close."

" You want to kill him?" Sora asked.

" I'm considering it," Ryouta replied.

" You can't be serious!" Mayuri exclaimed.

" I'm in! You can't stop me now!" Sora exclaimed. " Finally, a shot at this bastard. I am going to kill him personally!"

" …You sure Hayate isn't pulling our legs again, right?" Hibiki asked. " I mean, it was just like minutes ago we realized that Hayate pulled us here on a wild goose chase just to we can kill his old man. I mean, we even knew he was hiding something, and he even openly told us."

" Hayate seemed honest…and Miyako won't lie," Hiroshi answered.

" Who is this Miyako to you? And why do you seem obsessed about her?" Hibiki asked.

Ryouta raised his hand. " True, Hibiki, we don't know if any of this makes any sense, or even if it is believable. But…I run things by trust, and I, for one, trust Hiroshi. If he trusts the word of an enemy, I will trust that word," Ryouta replied. " I'm out to kill this son of a bitch. Who's with me?"

" Where's Suzumi?" Hiroshi noted, suddenly noticing her absence.

_Writer's note: By far one of the more confusing chapters I have written, mostly to tie up Hayate's real objectives and such. I hope I didn't miss out anything._


	33. Chapter 32: Twin Vengeance

**Chapter 32: Twin Vengeance**

Suzumi was tearing through the forest, running as fast as he legs could carry her. Night had fallen, and the clouds that covered the night sky kept her almost invisible in the cover of the darkness of the night sky. The absolute lack of light did not deter her the very least, in fact almost propelled her to further speeds. However, it was not Suzumi who was running.

It was Aya, her crimson eyes shining brightly in the night, illuminating a eerie, red glow in the forest she was traversing.

" Aya, what are you doing?" Suzumi exclaimed in alarm, speaking to her through her head.

" What does it look like I am doing? I'm doing everyone a big favour! I'm going to crush that son of a bitch!" Aya exclaimed, her face set with a crazy intensity. " Hayate didn't have to put up with this shit. If Juzzou kills him before I get there, I will rend him apart with my bare hands, slowly and painfully!"

" Stop!" Suzumi shouted back, the voice echoing in Aya's head.

" Silence, you little piece of shit! This is my personal problem! Hayate's my little pet, and I am going to kill Juuzou! We have every obligation to do so!" Aya exclaimed, her teeth flashing.

" I know that. I'm just trying to tell you that if you head west from here, you'll get there faster," Suzumi replied.

Aya skidded to a halt, not before pondering Suzumi's words. " …You aren't…against this…?" Aya mused.

" No…" Suzumi replied. " …I'm…feeling sorry for Hayate. But…I'm not as powerful or vicious as you are. You can be more than what I am, so I'm letting you take the reins here. My only condition is that you…"

" I understand perfectly. You need not say anymore," Aya replied, grinning madly. " Tell me the directions. Apparently they didn't give me any sense of direction when they split our brains in two."

ooo

Two sentries on the outskirts of the Blood village spotted a female figure walking towards them. Before they could call out to it, they heard the words "Drop dead". The moment the words touched their ears, they felt as if time had stopped, unable to move. However, the figure continued her advance, slitting their throats as she walked by. Both sentries dropped to the ground, writhing in agony, slowly stopping a while later.

" That was…potent," Suzumi spoke, noticing the carnage.

" What are you talking about? You learned this genjutsu," Aya replied, laughing.

" I did?" Suzumi asked, sounding shocked.

" Listen, whatever I know, the original Suzumi prior to the memory split knew as well. This meant that you actually learned this genjutsu before. Whatever genjutsu I know, you learned it before. Being a split personality doesn't make me more powerful, I was this powerful prior to the memory split. To be more exact, the current me is much weaker than before, as I only have one half of my abilities, while you share the second half," Aya answered.

" Is that so? But…you seem so much more…" Suzumi mused.

" Powerful? Hardly…this is only because I am way more vicious than you are," Aya replied. " Let's say you and I both have the ability to flatten a village just by willing it. You would hesitate to do so, while I would have no qualms. Does this make you less powerful? Perhaps, in terms of willpower, but in terms of raw power, we are the same."

" I understand," Suzumi replied.

" I suppose you were more like the old Suzumi. I am just your dark side which she kept repressed. All her latent talent that was unused, I am merely tapping into," Aya replied.

" I am curious about one thing," Suzumi replied.

" What is it?" Aya asked.

" Why do our eyes glow red when you take over?" Suzumi replied.

" What? They do?" Aya exclaimed, surprised by the sudden fact. Rushing over to a nearby closed shop, she took a good look of herself on the faded reflection of the window panel, and she saw a pair of glowing red eyes being reflected back. " It's true. Never noticed it myself. How odd."

" You didn't know about it?" Suzumi asked.

" Well, it's not like I've been able to look at myself in a mirror lately. I suppose this rules out the possibility that we can fool the others in thinking I am you or you am I," Aya replied. " This is kinda refreshing…"

" What is?"

" Us…conversing…" Aya continued.

" I suppose it is…" Suzumi replied.

" Well, we can sit down and have a nice chat when we are done," Aya replied, grinning madly. " We've got an army to kill."

ooo

" Here we are, I guess…" Suzumi replied.

Aya looked up at the building before her. In front of her stood a skyscraper, reaching to the skies. From what they could guess, this was probably the administrative building of the village. From the information they had extracted from the guards they had tortured, Juuzou was inside this building at the top most office.

" Perfect…" Aya snarled, rushing through the office.

Several shinobi were there, and all of them turned to face Aya as she stormed into the building. All of them leaped into action, preparing their jutsus and taking out their weapons. Aya blinked once, activating her genjutsu, and all of a sudden, all 8 of them froze in their tracks, unable to move. " Bleed…" Aya whispered.

Six of them started coughing out blood, not before dropping to the ground, their bodies twitching slightly. Another two were wincing, but having managed to resist the genjutsu. " Not bad…not bad at all," Aya exclaimed, laughing maniacally. She leaped at once of them, crushing his skull in her hands, while another was screaming into his radio.

" Alert! We have a dangerous hostile at the bottom floor! Requesting immediate…" the shinobi yelled, not before being silenced by Aya as she walked towards him, hitting him with a paralyzing gnejutsu, now way more potent since she didn't need to spread her power equally to eight targets, but only focusing on one. The shinobi made choking noises, and Aya raised her hand and pointed her finger at him, wriggling it slightly. Almost without hesitation, the man whipped out a kunai and slashed his neck, cutting it open and killing himself.

More shinobis started to converge around the place, and Aya merely snickered slightly. " Come one, come all! I haven't killed anything in a while! All of you shall sate my hunger!" Aya howled.

" Two above!" Suzumi exclaimed in her head.

" I saw them!" Aya laughed.

Two shinobis dropped from the ceiling, attempting to spring an ambush. Aya threw her hands upwards, flinging several senbon needles towards them. Both of them shifted their movements in mid-air, but Aya sprung on them like a lithe hunter. One of them gasped in shock as Aya punched a hole through his gut using sheer brute force of her own hands. Her free hand flicked a few chakra strings, attaching themselves to the other shinobi. With a violent tug, she skewered the other shinobi using the arm that pierced the first shinobi, two of them like skewered meat on her right arm.

" Third left pack pocket. Two pills, red and purple. Eat the purple and toss the red at them," Suzumi spoke to her.

Aya did as instructed, pulling out the specified pills from her pack, popping the purple one while tossing the red one towards a group of shinobis that were appearing. The five emerging shinobis coming out from one of the left corridors leaped aside, expecting the pill to explode in a burst of poison gas, but nothing happened. Aya leaped at them nevertheless, her arm dripping with blood.

" Exhale hard!" Suzumi exclaimed.

Aya did as she was told, and surprisingly, she found that she seemed to be breathing toxic fumes from her mouth. The two closer shinobis managed to catch a whiff, and their noses started to bleed profoundly, dropping them to their feet. Ignoring them, Aya leaped towards the other three as the gas ran out from her mouth, catching one of them. The two others attempted to help, but Aya merely shot them a glare, and they froze. She then blinked once, and they whipped out a kunai each and stabbed their hearts, killing themselves instantly.

" Who…who are you?" the shinobi in Aya's grasp exclaimed. He attempted to free himself, but Aya's grip on him was like an vice, and her glowing eyes made her look really demonic.

" Your mom here to say hi," Aya replied, not before grabbing his neck and breaking it with one swift twist.

ooo

" Hot damn…" Sora groaned as the rest of them stumbled into the building. The lobby was now littered with shinobi corpses. A quick count would put the body count to almost a hundred. Even facing off a hundred shinobi forces was a daunting task for the six of them, but Suzumi seemed to have torn through their ranks with ease. " Never knew Suzumi was this crazy awesome…"

" Most of them seemed to have killed themselves," Makoto noted, seeing a lot of them have self-inflicted wounds, either by slicing their necks or stabbing their hearts. A couple of them also apparently disemboweled themselves, and the lobby was now a bloody mess, a mixture of blood and guts sprawled all over the place.

" Potent…" Mayuri replied.

" Well, Suzumi's genjutsu was top notch, almost to the point where she could convince you to commit suicide if she wanted. She just never applied it all the time since she was much more gentler than either Makoto or I," Hibiki replied. " But…I suppose it is kinda terrifying seeing her fighting full force, even for a veteran like me."

" I suppose this means we won't have any trouble finding her," Ryouta replied, as he pointed towards the trail of bodies that led towards the far end lift.

ooo

Aya was panting heavily. She had lost count on how many people she had killed on the way here, but it was almost exhilarating. She had not been able to escape unharmed, as she was sporting a large number of wounds, mostly deep slashes and cuts, and she was bleeding all over the place. She tossed the two kunoichis she just killed aside, their bodies reduced to a messy, red pulp.

" Aya, switch with me!" Suzumi exclaimed.

" What are you going to do?" Aya demanded, panting heavily.

" I can fix us. You won't last too long like this," Suzumi exclaimed.

" Fair enough. Make it quick," Aya replied, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. The moment she opened them again, her eyes lost their reddish glow, and Suzumi was back taking control of her body. She winced in pain, grabbing the side of her abdomen where it sported the largest gash.

" Ow…you sure did a number on my body," Suzumi groaned.

" Stop complaining and fix me…or yourself," Aya snapped in her head.

Suzumi went to work immediately. One hand went towards the bandages in her medical pack and the other was running itself around her body, a soft glow of chakra visible as she healed her wounds, bandaging and applying some medicine as she went. She whipped out a packet of blood from a scroll, and poured the contents on her arm, which seemed to absorb the blood like a sponge. The treatment lasted at most a minute, and she was finished just as they were three floors to their destination.

" Done…" Suzumi replied. " Think they took the bait?"

" Well, they didn't stall the lift, so I guess it's working," Aya answered. Suzumi merely closed her eyes as the lift reached the top floor, and the door of the lift opened up.

The moment the doors open, Aya's eyes flashed open as she leaped out like a panther from the lift, catching the closest shinobi who was closest to her. She then flung the shinobi upwards, slamming his body onto the ceiling. Two other shinobis moved towards her. Aya glared at once of them, but he seemed resistant to her genjutsu. Switching genjutsu, she snapped her hands, and a powerful echo blasted all around the place. Both shinobis dropped to the ground as Aya walked past them, tapping them softly on their shoulders, making them tear out their own throats.

" Behind you!" Suzumi alerted Aya to something she didn't notice before.

Aya spun around, only to feel something hit her face. She stumbled backwards, something almost invisible moving all around her. Trying to regain her composure, she let out a guttural scream, flinging herself forward, her hands reaching out to grab a figure.

A female figure spun about, and something solid slammed into Aya's face. Biting her finger, she started drawing her blood on an invisible board in front of her, making odd circular sigils.

" Synchronising Gate: Mimic Dance!" Aya shouted.

All of a sudden, the figure that had been running in circles all around her suddenly slowed down considerably. She was still moving as if she was running, but her movement speed had slowed down, as if she was moving at 1/100th of her original speed. The kunoichi looked alarmed as she was moving very slowly.

" What…is…this?" she exclaimed, her voice coming out slowly as well.

" Syn…choro…nised….genjutsu…it…affects…us both…" Aya spoke very slowly like she did. Very slowly, due to their misinterpretation of how time was passing, Aya snapped her fingers. The kunoichi winced, and Aya released the genjutsu, their sense of time returning now, and the kunoichi slammed into the wall from being disorientated.

Normal genjutsu only affects the target. However, to the user, the target will be doing illogical actions, like looking blindly at an object or running in circles. However, if the user casts the genjutsu on him or herself, they can sense what the target is going through and act accordingly, with multiplying effects.

Her enemy was moving faster than she could react, so she casted an area based genjutsu that effected them both, and it had two effects. One was to trick the opponent that she was moving slower than she really should. Another was to trick her own self to actually visualize her slowing down. One of the important aspects of genjutsu is targeting, or more specifically visualizing the target. Just like throwing a kunai, without a target, it would be impossible to throw a shot, so she was forcing a genjutsu on herself to imagine a target since she couldn't visibly see it.

The moment the kunoichi slammed into the wall, Aya leaped at her, sending a powerful kick to her back, cracking her spine in the process. The kunoichi gave an exclamation of surprise, which was swiftly and brutally silenced when Aya slammed her foot into her face. Something grabbed her from behind, holding tightly onto her shoulders. She spun around, her arms slamming whoever it was to the wall, only for her to pause when she heard a familiar whimper.

" Oww…it's me, damn it," Hiroshi groaned.

Aya merely frowned when she spotted the rest of them appear before her, probably having raced up the stairs, since she had just recently taken the lift. " I see…I was wondering why there seemed to be a lack of reinforcements. I guess you took care of them huh?" Aya replied.

" Aya, what the hell do you think you are doing? Does Suzumi even agree with this?" Ryouta demanded.

" …She agrees with this. What, you idiots are going to stop me?" Aya demanded, snarling back.

" Stop you? Why would we want to do that?" Sora asked.

Aya was a little confused, and so was Suzumi. " …You aren't?" she asked.

" We are here to kill that son of a bitch. We were just annoyed that you didn't bother to wait for us," Hibiki replied. " So much for a plan…"

" Yeah, you could have waited for us. We would have come anyway," Hiroshi replied.

" You all didn't sound like you wanted to…it's not like you feel like you owe Hayate anything," Aya replied.

" No, we don't owe that son of a bitch anything…still, you have to at least give us some level of credit for knowing our priorities," Ryouta replied. " Makoto, where is Juuzou?"

" Here…" Makoto replied, tapping on the wall of the west side of the room.

The wall burst open, mostly likely from Makoto ripping it apart with his wind jutsus. Clouds of dust and debris started to bellow all over the place. Beyond the wall was a hidden compartment which looked like a small study room. Inside was their target, alone apparently unfazed.

" So, you have come…" Hagane Juuzou spoke, standing up from his desk. " I must commend you on coming this far. But, if you think you have me cornered, you are mistaken, because…"

" Fire Release: Instant Death Breakout Blast!" Ryouta replied, snapping his fingers.

Juuzou didn't manage to finish his sentence. His body instantly exploded in a large blast, and he was gone in less than a second, not even having enough time to scream. The rest of them looked at Ryouta, almost annoyed.

" Hey, I did say whoever got him first could do it," Ryouta replied, shrugging his shoulders. " Been wanting to do that for years."


	34. Chapter 33: Destruction

**Chapter 33: Destruction**

" Fun aside now, we need to get out of this place. At any rate, the whole village will be after us. It may take some time for them to mobilize, but if they surround us completely, we will be utterly screwed," Makoto exclaimed, getting out from the study. " Come on, let's go. We need to make our escape, and fast!"

The rest of them swiftly exited the room, with Ryouta looking all around him figure out a way to exit this place. Aya stayed for a while, looking at whatever remained of Juuzou. Hiroshi patted her on her shoulder, and she turned around and looked at him.

" …What about Hayate?" Aya asked with a strange expression on her face. _Is she showing…sorrow?_ Hiroshi thought.

" Hayate got here way before us, a couple of hours already. I think they would have disposed the body," Hiroshi answered.

Aya didn't respond, but she slowly shrugged her shoulders. " Well, that was his call," she replied. " Let's go." As they stepped out of the compartment, they stumbled on the rest of them who were discussing how to get out the place.

" Look, don't be an idiot! The ground floor is bound to be swarming with these idiots! You want to waltz right in?" Hibiki exclaimed.

" Well, it's like a hundred over storeys up…feel free to jump down whenever you want to from the window!" Sora snapped back. " Why are we even discussing this? The longer we wait, the more they will start to swarm over this place!"

" Well, they are swarming us already. I think I can barely make out 100 shinobis converging at the ground floor already," Mayuri replied, trying to look out the glass panel to check out the situation on the ground floor. " …I think some of them are scaling the exterior wall to get to where we are."

" Quiet, and listen to me! We don't have much time, and I do not have too many brilliant ideas at the moment. This is what we are going to do, and I will hear no excuses," Ryouta exclaimed. " We are going to blow up the bottom floor, completely, with a blast so powerful it's going to drop this building. It will be a controlled drop, so it will fall while pointing north, where all the shinobis are coming from, taking out as many reinforcements as we can. When the building drops, after about a good 100 meters or so, we will smash through the western side glass panels and jump onto the shorter skyscraper on the west, and we will scale down the building from there and head west. If my calculations are correct, the western side has the shortest distance to the border of this village, and hopefully, we won't run into too much resistence."

The rest of them looked at Ryouta, wondering if he had gone mad, the silence broken when Sora rushed off towards the western side of the room and slammed her fist onto the glass panels, shattering them in one punch.

" Are you fucking crazy?" Hibiki shouted.

" I've always wanted to do something crazy~" Mayuri replied.

" Let's do this. It's not borderline impossible yet," Hiroshi exclaimed.

Ryouta snapped his fingers, and the lift section behind them exploded in a fiery blast. Lighting his hands aflame with his signature technique, he moved to the large hole he had created, and looked down the smoldering shaft, which could be seen reaching the bottom of the ground floor. Raising his hands, he started to form what could be best described as a large, flaming ball, and he was compressing his flames to an unimaginable degree. Hiroshi caught the gist of what he was doing. The ball of flame was condensed till the point where it looked like a ball of pure white energy. Ryouta spread his arms slightly, and the ball of flame dropped down the elevator shaft like a heavy cannonball. A resounding explosion rocked the entire building when the ball of flame hit the bottom floor. Mayuri could see a large explosion expand from the ground floor, incinerating everything in its path.

The entire building start to tilt all of a sudden. " Get ready for the jump!" Ryouta instructed. " Hiroshi, what are you doing?"

" Giving them something extra," Hiroshi replied, placing two large pieces of paper with seals written onto them in the middle of the room, not before joining the rest of them.

The building started to collapse, falling down across the north side street. All of them attempted to keep their balance. The moment they were in range, all of them sprang from the broken glass panel and jumped towards the opposite side. Hitting the other side of the wall, they stuck themselves using chakra control on their hands and feet. Some of them, namely Hiroshi and Sora, punched their fists into the concrete to stop their fall. Ryouta, being the only one who jettisoned himself across using his fire jutsu, was the only one who managed to reach the opposite building's rooftop.

" We need to get down," Makoto replied.

" Right, the stairs…" Hiroshi muttered.

" Stairs? Can't we scale the walls?" Sora demanded.

" Well, I hate heights," Hiroshi replied, grumbling.

" Incoming!" Mayuri exclaimed.

Several shinobis started to scale the exterior of the building they were on, several kunais flying towards their direction. Hiroshi retaliated by opening one of his arm compartments and fired a barrage of kunais towards their attackers. Sora slammed her fist onto the wall, sending chunks of debris and concrete down. Using the falling concrete as stepping stones, she leaped from one concrete block to another, grabbing a shinobi along the way and slamming him onto the ground below when she reached it.

" Go, move now!" Ryouta exclaimed.

All of them started to scale down the wall by themselves, engaging any of the shinobis they met along the way. Hibiki and Makoto charged downwards, both of them slamming into their targets and hitting the ground, using their enemies to soften their landing. Ryouta and Mayuri merely jumped off, apparently unfazed by the immense height. It took Hiroshi and Suzumi some time to get down. Hiroshi had to use his chakra strings to drop himself.

One of the shinobis ran upwards to engage him. Hiroshi was about to pull out another weapon when the shinobi tapped the vertical wall he was on, not before sinking into it as if it was made out of mud. Suddenly, a large portion of where Hiroshi was standing on the wall came off, almost shooting over thirty meters before dropping.

" Shit!" Hiroshi exclaimed.

He was too far off now to get anything for support, and the slab of concrete that was send flying along with him was tilting at an angle in which the solid block will land on top of him when he hits the ground, which will hurt like hell. Almost hitting the ground, Hiroshi kicked himself off, hoping to hit the ground in time and move out of the way before the block slammed onto him. The moment he hit the ground, he dove out of the way, but from the darkening shadow he knew he wasn't going to make it in time.

" Hiroshi!" Sora screamed in alarm.

The entire slab came falling down, crushing Hiroshi beneath, the slab shattering into a thousand pieces as it crumbled all over the place. Sora and Hibiki rushed over to the rubble. Hiroshi could be seen stuck underneath the rubble, only his head and outstretched right hand were visible. He was badly wounded from the drop, as he was bleeding from his mouth and a pool of blood was forming underneath him.

" Shit! Hiroshi, can you hear me?" Hibiki exclaimed.

" …Oww…" Hiroshi moaned.

" Hang on tight, and clench your teeth!" Sora exclaimed.

Forming a few seals, Sora suddenly stomped her foot hard on the ground. The sudden shockwave sent the rubble that was piled up on Hiroshi's body flying several feet into the air. Two sharp metal segments that were stuck through Hiroshi's back were forcibly yanked out, and Hiroshi gave an anguished cry of pain. Sora shouted loudly, her voice blasting the temporary levitating rocks aside.

Hibiki was about to check on Hiroshi when a sudden explosion rocked the entire area. Hiroshi could feel the intense heat pass over him. The noise was almost deafening, and the shock that came from the blast tossed his body aside by several meters, not before he sensed something large, like a building, crash down next to him. The explosion almost knocked him unconscious, and his vision started to dim in and out, his ears apparently now not working very well.

Pain was tearing through his body. Two metal spikes had punctured his body, and he was bleeding badly. His hands were shaking badly as he tried to seal up his wound, but being barely able to keep his focus, he didn't really do much except to slow the bleeding little bit. As he tried to pick himself up, he felt a pair of strong arms pick him up and carry him while running away.

As he managed to get back his focus in a bit, he felt himself being carried on someone's shoulder. It was a small frame, so it was most likely a female carrying him. It wasn't Sora, since Hiroshi could sense whoever it was who was carrying him was not wearing any gloves or bandages on her hand. It wasn't Aya, or Suzumi, either since whoever it was carrying a severely wounded and bleeding Aya, who was unconscious. Whoever it was had very, very long hair.

" This is really crazy~!" Mayuri exclaimed.

" …Mayuri…?" Hiroshi gasped, feeling them running. Looking around, they seemed to be running down an empty street.

" Don't worry about a thing! Mayuri will get you out of here!" Mayuri exclaimed, gritting her teeth.

" …What happened?" Hiroshi asked.

" Something blew up, dunno what. Aya dove for you to shield you from the blast, so she got badly hit as well. We got split up as one of the nearby buildings crashed down on us, so I took you two, as you two were the only ones I could find, and started to storm away from the place," Mayuri exclaimed.

" …Drop me down…I'm weighing you down…" Hiroshi replied.

" I absolutely cannot do that!" Mayuri exclaimed.

" …You cannot carry two of us and escape…" Hiroshi told her.

" I need to. You two are the only medics on our team, and if I leave you, the rest of us are going to be screwed!" Mayuri exclaimed. " Sora got hit bad too…her abdomen got torn up pretty badly…Hibiki and Ryouta were wounded, but they were still able to make their escape. If I drop either of you two here, we won't make it…especially you…Aya is already out cold…if I drop you now, the rest of us will not make it without medical aid…"

" Then just leave us…save yourself!" Hiroshi exclaimed, feeling his lungs hurt when he shouted.

" Never!" Mayuri bellowed, her face set in a furious grin. " If I ever abandoned you here, I won't have any face to look at Makoto in the eyes…not that he can really see…well, he can, but that's beside the point! We are getting out of here! This is not a statement, this is not a promise, nor is it a proclamation! This is a fact!"

" You can't fight like this…" Hiroshi exclaimed, spotting a couple of shinobi appearing in front of them to block their escape.

" Oh yes I can! Watch me!" Mayuri declared proudly.

Mayuri took a deep breath, and Hiroshi could feel the enormous build-up of chakra in her, the collection of chakra coming to almost unbelievable amount. Mayuri then spat out a large body of water, and the water was fired out at an incredible speed, almost like a cannon. The blast flooded the entire street, knocking the two shinobis backwards. Mayuri jumped on the large body of water and started to speed on it. Hiroshi wasn't sure if he was seeing it correctly, but it looked like she was skating on water at very high speeds. Hiroshi felt the wind whip against his face as Mayuri continued to speed on top of the surface of the water at an incredible speed.

" Damn it…guess it wasn't refined enough…" Mayuri noted.

The two shinobis burst from the surface, and one of them was preparing a jutsu. With an almost breath-taking speed, Mayuri flew at him, sending a flying kick to his face. The shinobi was thrown at least a hundred feet back, hitting the water's surface and sinking into it. The second shinobi was about to react, but Mayuri merely stomped on the water's surface, and the water below the shinobi exploded, sending the person flying over several hundred meters into the sky.

However, just as she dispatched the shinobi, several more appeared from where they had just escaped from. Mayuri was getting swarmed, and carrying two extra people was really slowing her down, since the lack of hands disallowed her from refining the water ninjutsu she used so well.

" You…can't make it out with us…" Hiroshi replied, seeing the mod closing in faster than Mayuri can run.

" Oh yes I can!" Mayuri exclaimed.

Hiroshi felt another build-up of chakra, wondering if she was going to flood their pursuers, but this time it felt slightly different. Hiroshi wasn't sure how to put his hand on it, as he felt that this chakra channeling was somewhat unnatural.

" Hang on!~" Mayuri exclaimed.

Mayuri shot towards the distance, once more speeding along the water's surface, but this time was much different. Her speed was almost unnatural, too fast and way too strong. Hiroshi had no idea she could even speed this fast. Most of their movement was in a blur.

" You'll run out… of water… to speed on," Hiroshi noted.

" Have you forgotten? I am the Goddess of Water! I am flooding the city as we are moving along!" Mayuri exclaimed.

She was not lying. As she continued to move through the streets, the body of water she was moving on stayed constant, so she had to be creating them on the go. Hiroshi could not believe his eyes. The water that was flooding the streets was preventing the pursuers from catching up with her too quickly, and the constant flooding was preventing people from stalling them as she could just wash them over by flooding the place. This ability to create water was way beyond what she could normally do.

" This…is beyond normal…shinobi capabilities…" Hiroshi replied, noting that she was practically flooding the village almost at will.

" Well, I am hardly normal!" Mayuri proudly declared.

Several weapons were suddenly thrown in their direction. As Mayuri tried to move out of the way, something popped up in front of her. The next thing Hiroshi saw was a hand bursting out from Mayuri's back, and his vision was suddenly obscured with blood.

" Mayuri…!" Hiroshi exclaimed in alarm.

The attacker had previously burst out from the body of water, using Mayuri's own technique against her, and once he made the jump on her, without hesitating, he sent a powerful punch that burst through her gut and out through her back. Blood started to seep out from the wound, and Mayuri's legs started to shake uncontrollably.

" This is the end…" the shinobis replied.

" Yeah…for you, that is…" Mayuri replied, smirking.

Her hair started to move, as if it had a will of its own. The length of her hair wrapped around the shinobi, restraining him in place. A section of it pierced his heart, and the shinobis looked at Mayuri in shock, unable to comprehend how she can withstand this much damage and still dispatch him.

" How foolish…if you want an instant kill, go for the heart or the head. This is the second time this time around someone stuck some part of their limbs in me," Mayuri replied as she released him, letting him sink into the water's surface below. " How rude~. Nobody's allowed to touch my body except Makoto…so hands off, pervert…" Mayuri replied, yanking out the arm in her gut, and letting the person sink into his watery grave.

To Hiroshi's utter amazement, and slight horror, Mayuri's wound started to fix itself. It was beyond healing, it was regeneration. Hiroshi has heard of this before, and he had some level of understanding regeneration techniques, but Mayuri wasn't a medic-nin, nor was she even using her own chakra to fix up her own body, it looked like it was fixing itself up by itself. The flesh and organs of the wound started to grow back to seal the wound, and after a while, besides the hole in her attire, there was no trace of the wound was even there to begin, except the bloodstains on her shirt.

" …This…what are you…?" Hiroshi asked.

" A fucking monster, that's what I am," Mayuri answered proudly.

As they were about to move, something burst out from the left side building. Mayuri braced herself, but she caught sight of Hibiki appearing, one hand hoisting Sora on his shoulder, while another was firmly gripped on Tsuki. Hibiki was bleeding all over, but he seemed fine. The same could not be said about Sora. Hiroshi could not remember the last time he saw her this pale from losing so much blood.

" Hibiki!" Mayuri exclaimed.

" I knew this water was your doing," Hibiki exclaimed. " And Sora is fucking heavy! What the hell does she eat? I've never carried a girl her size who weighs this much!"

" Where are Ryouta and Makoto?" Mayuri asked.

" I don't know, but they got ahead of me since I as being slowed down by this fatass, so they should be fine," Hibiki replied, poking the unconscious Sora on her buttocks. " Let's make a break for it!"

Both of them started to make a dash for the edge of the village. Mayuri had to slow her advance slightly since Hibiki was now with them, but Hibiki's endurance and strength allowed him to keep up with Mayuri unnatural strength and speed while on water.

" There it is," Hibiki exclaimed, pointing to a watch tower nearby.

Switching weapons, taking out his Hime this time, Hibiki took a second to draw his hand backwards and take aim, not before throwing with a lot of force towards the watch tower. The moment his weapon connected, the watch tower exploded into bits, the wind infused javelin tearing it to pieces.

" Go!" Hibiki replied. Both Mayuri and him tore through the streets, passing the now destroyed tower. Hibiki grabbed Hime, which was lying over a hundred meters from the watch tower, and both of them ran off to seek refuge in the nearby forests.


	35. Chapter 34: Death

**Chapter 34: Death**

" Shit, I think they are gaining on us," Mayuri noted as both she and Hibiki kept running deeper and deeper into the forest. She turned around when she felt Hiroshi moving his arms around. " What are you up to?"

Hiroshi was digging through his weapon pack, his hands stinging painfully as he moved his body around. Soon, he took out a kunai tagged with three explosive notes, or what looked like explosive notes. He raised his hands, and after a while, dropped it onto the ground.

" …Run…fast…" Hiroshi muttered.

Mayuri and Hibiki obeyed him, and redoubled their efforts in attempting to escape. Hiroshi dug into his pack once more, taking out a flare, not before firing it into the air. The green/red flare shot up, brightening up the night sky. Hibiki and Mayuri looked at each other, not before grinning.

" 10…9…8…" Hiroshi muttered, starting a countdown.

Mayuri and Hibiki kept moving, carrying the rest of their teammates along. Hibiki's wounds hurt, but he could care less. Both of them kept pushing themselves, wanting to place as much distance between themselves as much as possible between them and their pursuers. They were both panting heavily as they kept running.

" 3…2…1…Boom…" Hiroshi whispered.

A huge blast exploded from behind them, the shock almost knocking Mayuri and Hibiki off their feet. The flare from the blast was so great it was almost Hiroshi's explosion created an artificial sun. Hiroshi could see the blast mushrooming at the distance, a ball of hot, fiery death, disappearing a second later, leaving the red, glowing remains of the burnt out area.

" Holy shit!" Mayuri exclaimed.

" That should stall them for a bit! Keep moving!" Hibiki exclaimed.

Both of them didn't stop. Hiroshi was quite surprised they could keep running at this speed for so long now. Hiroshi lost track of time, but they had been moving for about half an hour now. The explosion he was now a small speck from where they are.

" I wonder where are we right now?" Mayuri replied, groaning slightly.

" Somewhere far off, but we are not out of trouble yet," a voice replied.

Both of them skidded to a halt, only to see Makoto appear to their right, cradling Ryouta, who had both his legs impaled with spikes. " Thanks for the flare tip. We were almost going to head that direction when we saw it," Makoto replied.

" Aw man, that is sick!" Hibiki retorted.

" Makoto!" Mayuri exclaimed, almost whining. " Why are you carrying Ryouta like some God-damned bride? You are supposed to carry ME like that!"

" …You see," Makoto replied.

" I got spikes in my legs. Stop complaining!" Ryouta snapped. " We'll try to fix the damage here. Put me down."

They all placed down their wounded comrades, and Ryouta assessed the situation. He was mostly incapacitated from the three metal spikes that had pierced each of his legs. Makoto had a slight nick on his chest, and he broke one rib previously, but he was mostly unharmed. Mayuri had a lot of blood on her, but she didn't have any visible wounds. Hibiki sported a number of injuries, but he was apparently still functional.

Both Aya and Sora had been knocked out, and their injuries looked serious. Sora's entire front was smeared with her own blood, and it looked like she had been bleeding out for a while now. Aya was no better, as her chest sported a number of puncture wounds, and she was bleeding badly as well. Hiroshi was bleeding badly as well, but at least he was still slightly conscious. Ryouta made a disgruntled noise under his breath and yanked out one of the spikes embedded in his legs, disregarding the pain.

" They are onto us still," Makoto noted, able to hear them approaching from afar.

" Think they can successfully track us till here?" Hibiki asked.

" I think they will. We didn't even bother covering our tracks, even a rookie can easily follow us here," Ryouta replied, removing the last of the spikes in his leg. " We need to keep moving…"

" That's impossible. With so many wounded, and seriously injured, we are not going to make it. Heck, Hiroshi, Aya and Sora aren't going to make it unless we treat them now," Hibiki exclaimed. " To make matters worse, both our medics are out!"

" Then we need some time," Makoto replied.

" Makoto, what are you suggesting?" Mayuri exclaimed, alarmed.

" I'll distract them. Hiroshi is still barely conscious. Get him to perform some treatment for them, and he cannot, then you all will need to improvise. Either way, we are close to being screwed," Makoto replied.

Mayuri jumped to her feet and moved in front of Makoto, stopping him from advancing. " Wait, you can't just get up and leave! What do you think you can achieve alone? You'll get yourself killed," Mayuri exclaimed.

" We need someone to distract them, or else they will come here, that is a given. Someone has to do it," Makoto replied.

" I can. I'm in perfect health!" Mayuri declared.

" Which means you need to stay here and protect the rest of them. I cannot guarantee that I can distract all of them, and neither can you, and in the chance that they do come here, the best amongst us needs to protect the rest. That's you, which leaves me to deal with them. Ryouta and Hibiki can't do much shit in their situation, and if you hold them off and we leave, you won't be able to track us. I can do that, so it is best for me to do this," Makoto answered.

" …You are coming back right?" Mayuri asked, tears welling up in her eyes. Makoto didn't answer her. " Hey, answer me!"

" …We haven't had kids yet, right? So, what are you worrying about?" Makoto asked, grinning at her just before he tore off towards the direction where they had previously came from. Mayuri a little too shocked for words.

ooo

While Mayuri and Makoto were having their personal exchange, Hibiki moved up to Hiroshi, who they had propped up on a nearby tree. His head was slouched downwards, and his breathing was a little weak. Hibiki propped his head up, and was almost quite pleasantly surprised to see he was still conscious.

" …What…?" Hiroshi groaned.

" You need to fix their injuries…" Hibiki replied.

" …You look fine…" Hiroshi muttered.

" I don't care about me, but Sora and Aya are bleeding out. You need to fix them up, The most I can really do is wrap bandages around them, but I think at this point that is not going to do jack shit," Hibiki replied. " Come on, I know you are screwed up, but if you don't do anything, we are all going to be screwed."

" …I know…I need your assistance," Hiroshi replied, trying to sit himself straight.

" Anything you need," Hibiki responded.

" My medical pack… Search it… There is a set of bottles which is wrapped in white cloth… Take them out… Both should contain a mixture… of green and yellow fluids, which… is half full. Pour them …into one bottle and mix… them," Hiroshi replied.

Hibiki did as he was told, and when the mixture was done, the fluid looked like a sickly green mix. " There is a metal… container inside marked with a green cross... Take it out. …On the bottom section there… should be a section that stores… green pills. Take two and drop them… in the mixture… They will dissolve," Hiroshi instructed.

Hibiki dug through his pack, finding the box he needed. Taking two of the said pills and dropping them inside the mixture. The pill dissolved in less than a second. " Okay, it's done…" Hiroshi replied.

" Who should I give it to?" Hibiki asked. " Sora or Aya?"

Hiroshi grabbed the bottle and drank the entire mixture, tossing the bottle aside. Once he was done, he forced himself to his feet, and Hibiki was surprised her could even stand under the circumstances. " The meds are for me, dickhead. Now, let's do this," Hiroshi replied, some vitality returning to his body after consuming the mixture.

ooo

Makoto watched from his hiding place as he saw the shinobis moving through the forest. Small groups of three or four shinobis were now moving slowly through the forest Makoto wondered why they were moving so slowly. If they intended to chase them down, they would know that their targets were seriously injured, so it was not possible for them to go that far. Even if they had laid traps prior to this, the way they were moving was too cautious.

He wondered why was this the case. Makoto had observed that most of the shinobis they had fought were only chuunin or genin level, with the occasional jounin mixed in their ranks, but there was a severe lack of jounins in their fighting force. Makoto could not imagine why where all the Blood-nin jounins missing. If they were facing the entire jounin force of the Blood-nin village, they would actually be lucky to even assassinate Juuzou. Makoto had a good look at the shinobis that Aya had massacred, and there was a good number of jounins mixed in the ranks, but the Blood-nin village should have a significantly larger amount of jounins than the 30 odd numbers that Aya killed brutally.

Makoto guessed that this was the reason why the entire search group was cautious. Even though they were significant in number, almost a hundred in the surrounding area, there moved as if they were afraid of 7 wounded, some seriously, shinobis. Makoto wondered if there was no highly skilled shinobi here, and if that was the case, it made his job even easier.

That aside, Makoto was slightly worried of Aya's capabilities. Decimating 30 jounins along with 100 shinobis was no easy feat. Aya literally tore through their forces, and she was merely one lone shinobi. Not many shinobis can claim to defeat 100 strong force, and Aya could do it with ease, and despite being injured as well, was more than ready to deal out more killings. Makoto and Hibiki had always agreed on the fact that if Suzumi had fought all out, she would beat them both flat. Suzumi wasn't as violent or bloodthirsty as they were, so most people figured she was weaker than them, but they knew better. Still, Aya was beyond normal. Makoto wondered if she had the capabilities of a monster.

The people who made her what she was probably wanted to her to show her true abilities. Makoto probably figured that this was why nobody in her family talked about it. Makoto couldn't imagine the ferocious ability they could wield. Still, it did puzzle him somewhat about their intentions. Why were they interested in 'unsealing' her abilities? Was there a reason to make her 'more' powerful?

Those thoughts will have to wait. Makoto had an army to fight. " Tonight's dark night is just…perfect…" Makoto spoke to himself. " Night Shadow Concealment Technique."

Very quietly, he formed a few hand seals slowly. His body slowly melded with the shadows, until Makoto barely had any form at all, like a small dark, shadowy figure. This ninjutsu was a useful ninjutsu used to conceal one's body. In the darkness of the night, Makoto could barely be seen, almost as if he was some form of a shade, a dark outline, almost invisible in the middle of the night. Although he knew the Camouflage Concealment Technique, and it would completely hide his body, there were some flaws in using that in this fight.

The Camouflage Technique would take up more chakra, almost to a substantial amount, and in a fight of attrition, this was wear him down really fast. His Shadow Technique was far better, since not only does it use far less chakra, unlike the Concealment technique where it can be easily broken if he got severely hit, the Shadow Technique would still be active even if he was hit, or wounded. However, the Shadow technique is only usable at night, the darker the better, but it's glaring weakness was not present now late in the middle of the night. However, there was a second reason for this.

Complete concealment sometimes is a double edged sword. A number of shinobis, who have other keen senses, like hearing, smell, touch or in the very rare case, taste, completely concealing oneself from such enemies would actually put one at a disadvantage. When one simply disappears or hides oneself from the enemy's view, even if they cannot be seen, their other senses will take up the slack, and for those who train their other senses, completely concealing oneself from a enemy's view will only make you an easy target.

However, there is an interesting flaw in all of this. No matter how they train, it was almost instinct for the sense of sight to override all the rest, which also makes this the easiest sense to target when using genjutsu, although that is just a general case. The Shadow technique kept one almost invisible, but still possible to trace them. In the middle of the dark night, Makoto would be visible, but still almost impossible to target, and since he was still visible, most shinobis would still instinctively use their eyes to follow their target, even if they knew mentally that using them instead of one of the other senses was far better.

" Did you feel that?" one of the Blood-nins asked.

" …What is it?" another asked.

Makoto was impressed. Someone managed to sense him use his technique. He took out two trench knives, and charging his wind element into the blades. " Show time…" Makoto spoke to himself.

He launched himself at the nearest group, consisting of three members, his silent movements catching them off guard. He tore through the group, slashing off an arm from two of them and stabbing a kunoichi in her thigh, dropping her to the ground, and he was already working on his second group before the alarm went off.

" We are under attack!" someone yelled, and Makoto could sense that a large number of people were converging to where he was.

He moved quickly, swinging his knives in all directions, cutting anything in his way, his wind infused blades tearing through everything without the least bit of resistence, almost as if he was cutting through air. He wasn't aiming to kill, as seriously injuring a target was more than enough to keep them out of the fight for now, and Makoto merely let his hands fly all over the place, not caring whether he was tearing through someone's finger or neck.

He threw a wild swing, only to have his latest target flip backwards. Something hot shot past his face, along with a sharp looking blade, his Shadow technique aiding in his enemies missing their intended target by several centimeters. He elbowed on person violently, bringing him to his knees, not before flicking a wind slash towards his right, cutting a kunoichi on her chest. Someone jumped at him, and Makoto spun around to retaliate by whipping his trench knife across the person's face, only to be parried by a short sword which snapped his trench knife clean in half.

_Lightning element manipulation…_Makoto thought to himself. _Shit…_

The counter-slash almost lobbed Makoto's head off, backing off just in time before the sword made contact with his neck. Just as the counter attack was done, the attacker slung his legs around, kicking Makoto in his chest, knocking to the ground. Makoto fell to the ground, sensing the sword being flung towards his direction, barely giving him time to recover.

_Shit, this guy is good…elite jounin by the looks…_Makoto thought to himself.

Makoto removed the wind element on his second trench knife, and as he forced himself to come to a halt, flung his trench knife towards the lightning infused blade that was thrown in his direction. Makoto's trench knife was predictably broken apart when it came into contact with the sword, but coming into contact changed the projection of the sword considerably, so it merely flew past his head. However, Makoto's blood almost froze when he heard someone catch the sword as it flew past his head.

His attacker dropped the sword low, the blade about to cut through Makoto horizontally across his abdomen, threatening to cut his body in half. His hand reached up to block the blow, making it just in time as Makoto felt the sting of electricity slicing his abdomen slightly. As Makoto stopped his advance, Makoto pulled out another trench knife, and infusing it with his wind element until the blade lengthen to a length of a katana, attempted to slash his target's neck.

He barely managed to nick his neck, and Makoto only spotted a slight trickle of blood come out from his neck. His enemy proceeded to stamp his foot on his chest, and Makoto responded in kind, blocking his stomp with his own foot as well.

" Bad move!" Makoto replied.

A powerful blast of wind was shot out from the sole of his foot, and his target was shot almost a hundred meters into the air, dropping off into the distance. Makoto couldn't be bothered to check his status, as the other shinobis were converging on his position. He had been delayed for too long due to the previous jounin's attack, and he was now surrounded.

" No need for restraint now, do I?" Makoto replied, pushing his forehead protector, his yellow-red eyes glaring at his opponents. " Let's end this!"


	36. Chapter 35: Missing

**Chapter 35: Missing**

Mayuri saw the sun break at the horizon, brightening up the night sky. She was slightly dizzy from the lack of sleep. Since she was the only one who was unharmed, she had to keep watch while the others rested. Aya and Sora were completely out after Hiroshi's emergency treatment on them, and by the time Hiroshi was done, he was coughing blood, passing out seconds after finishing Sora's treatment. Hibiki and Ryouta managed some emergency treatment on themselves, but without medical help, could not fix their injuries as well as they wanted and fell asleep, too tired to move.

As much as she hated it, Mayuri shifted the entire group away from their initial site to avoid getting tracked by the Blood-nins. She was careful to try and erase as much of their presence when she moved them using water clones, and she did most of the travelling during the night that it was only about a couple of hours before daybreak that she stopped and kept watch for the rest of the night. She had managed to travel several kilometers from where they were, almost close to the neutral territory between the Blood-nin country and the Country of Lightning. They were quite far from their starting point, and Mayuri could only silently worry about Makoto and his fate.

Certainly, she was expecting the impossible, but she had hoped that Makoto would find them in a few hours. Morning had now arrived, and Makoto was gone for almost 8 hours now, and she was worried sick. The rest of her teammates were all incapacitated, and she was the only one left. Mayuri felt so miserable that she felt like wanting to break down and cry.

" …Man, I feel like shit…" Sora spoke.

Mayuri was naturally alarmed at the sound of her voice. Amongst all of them, Sora had it the worst. From whatever words Hiroshi could mutter while treating Sora, Mayuri could deduced that she had several internal organs damaged, multiple fractures, serious abrasion and cut wounds, not to mention the massive loss of blood. In fact, Hiroshi even treated her before Aya because he thought that Sora was not going to make it, and whoever he treated first amongst the two would have a higher chance of surviving, and he picked Aya over Sora despite that. It didn't stop him from doing his best, although he looked as if he was giving up on Sora by the time he was done.

" Oh, you are awake?...Hang on, why are you the only one who doesn't look like shit?" Sora muttered when she saw Mayuri looking almost fine.

" Sora, you are alright. You were almost gone. I thought you'd be dead…it's a miracle that you can even get up and talk," Mayuri gushed, moving towards her.

" Really? I really have a hard time dying. Hiroshi and Ryouta can attest to that," Sora replied, pushing herself into a sitting position. Mayuri had to admire her sheer willpower to even stand up to the injury and pain she has to be going through. " What happened to the other idiots?"

" Well…I suppose they are okay…Ryouta and Hibiki are resting from the loss of blood, and Aya's status has been stabilized thanks to Hiroshi's treatment. As for Hiroshi…he was vomiting a lot of blood…so I'm a little worried about him," Mayuri replied.

" ...So, you treated him?" Sora asked.

" …I'm not a medic-nin," Mayuri replied.

" …Mayuri, why are you lying? If Hiroshi treated us until the point he was vomiting blood, this meant that he ran out of chakra while treating us and damaged his chakra systems in the process, causing internal damage to his organs, or he was so injured that he was vomiting blood and passed out from the severe injuries. Assuming you are the only one awake, and I know Ryouta and Hibiki has no capability to heal any of our teammates, the only option left is you," Sora replied.

Mayuri looked conflicted. " Okay…okay…it was me. I did it. I…cannot explain how I did it however," Mayuri admitted.

" …Does it have something to do with your hair?" Sora asked. " It looked considerably shorter now."

Mayuri's previous lengthy hair that almost reached the ground was now long enough to barely cover her buttocks. Mayuri nodded her head. " Yes, it's a bloodline ability, but one that is kept secret by my family, even to other Sand shinobis. We are kind of a powerful race, which will explain why I am without injuries despite the skirmish we went through. I'm not allowed to inform my friends, not even Makoto until he is legally married to me, about my ability, so I really cannot tell you about it as well…no offense."

" No worries. I understand perfectly. A good ace has to be kept hidden," Sora replied.

" Thanks for being understanding," Mayuri replied, smiling slightly.

" Hey, I'm got secrets I'd like to keep secret permanently as well," Sora replied, grinning. " Like the fact I hate guys with a number of scars, uses spears as their main weapon, green hair, uses wind manipulation, cocky and thinks he's the biggest dick around." Mayuri could giggle at Sora, wondering if this was some attempt to cheer her up. Makoto's absence was not weighing her down as much now.

" Hungry?" Mayuri asked.

" Am I always," Sora replied.

ooo

Ryouta woke up to the smell of something sweet and meaty filling his nostrils, and when he got up, he saw Mayuri heating some of the emergency food rations Hiroshi had prepared before. Noticing that Ryouta was awake, Mayuri came over with a packet in her hand and passed it to him.

" Eat up, this is your share," Mayuri replied.

" Thanks," Ryouta replied, gratefully taking his share, and gobbled up the rations, filling up his hunger.

" Glad you are up," Hibiki replied, munching on his food. " Sora's been bugging me the whole while. Maybe you can take some of the heat this time around."

" Shut it. I'd prefer to target you than target fire boy," Sora replied.

" 'Fire boy'? That's new," Ryouta replied.

" I mean, that's what you are, right? Ryouta is 'Fire boy', Makoto is 'Wind boy', Mayuri is obviously 'Water chick', and Suzumi is the 'Medic chick' while Aya is the 'Crazy chick II'. Hiroshi is the 'Puppet boy' and Hibiki is the 'Dumb Shit'," Sora answered.

" …I'll kill you…" Hibiki snarled angrily.

" Why is Aya 'Crazy chick II'?" Mayuri asked, looking at Sora, only to understand what she meant. " Oh…"

" You have to admit, at least she knows she's crazy," Ryouta replied, laughing slightly.

" …Does that change anything?" Hiroshi replied, groaning slightly. " Damn, can't even get up. My body feels like shit. Did Sora kick me while I was asleep or something?"

" Heh, maybe…that might explain why you are the last to wake up," Hibiki replied, snickering.

" …Makoto?" Hiroshi asked. He was answered with silence. " …He'll be back. I'm sure of it."

" How are you feeling, Hiroshi?" Mayuri asked, moving towards Hiroshi.

" Like shit…seriously, did Sora beat the shit out of me last night?" Hiroshi asked.

" I did not, but I damn well sure am going to now!" Sora shouted, attempting to get up, only to wince in pain. Hiroshi started laughing, but stopped almost immediately because it was hurting him as well. " Son of a…I'll kill you when I get better," she muttered.

" Oh, you can't do that…He's fun to have around," Aya spoke up.

Everyone froze, almost too shocked to move. It wasn't that it being due to Aya speaking to them, but the way she spoke. She was standing on her feet, almost devoid of any form of injuries, her red eyes glowing as she smiled mischievously at all of them. One night of rest was close to impossible to heal all injuries.

" Yo…why are you all so scared? You look like you've seen a ghost…" Aya replied, grinning madly.

" …And I thought I was resilient," Sora mused. Throwing a look at Mayuri, it was obvious she had no hand in this unlike Hiroshi, and if Mayuri could only treat Hiroshi to the point where he barely recovered, what Aya did was beyond her capabilities. " What the fuck did you do to yourself?"

" Not me, per se. Suzumi had her hand in this," Aya answered, tapping her chest proudly. " Cell Assimilation Technique…know what it is, Hiroshi?"

" Yes…it's an ability where you steal live cells from living organism of the same type and incorporate the cells into one's body. It's like regenerating your body, except it takes a while before the cells can be uploaded into the body," Hiroshi replied. " …Such an advance technique."

" Before I left, Suzumi added 3 packets of blood to our body, and while I was on my rampage, she added one more packet of blood, two arms, 1 leg, 2 livers and 1 spleen. Enough raw materials, plus 1 night worth of sleep, to completely recover my body. I wasn't in any real danger last night, Hiroshi. You should have treated Sora first," Aya replied. Hiroshi wasn't sure what to say. " Well…I suppose an apology is needed for my actions. I'm sorry, and don't blame Suzumi for this."

" We won't," the rest of them said in unison.

" Hahaha, it's so funny to be unanimously hated…I had my share of fun last night. I'll let Suzumi take over from here," Aya replied. She blinked once, and the red glow in her eyes was gone. Suzumi looked blankly at the rest of them, almost as if she had forgotten who they were. "…Eh?"

" Welcome back…" Hiroshi replied, smiling warmly at her.

ooo

" All done," Suzumi replied after treating Hiroshi. She was done checking up on the rest of them, and she finished with Hiroshi. Hiroshi was still quite surprised that Suzumi was functioning normally. She was so badly hurt last night her condition was almost critical. He hoped that he wasn't just dreaming this up as she placed the finishing touches on the bandages she applied.

" Thanks," Hiroshi replied.

" Don't worry about it," Suzumi replied, looking slightly downcast. " …I suppose I should apologise to all of you. I guess I should have waited for the rest of you instead of letting us run off by ourselves."

" Don't sweat it. I suppose it was all good anyway," Sora answered. " Least you provided some violent distractions."

" …I…"

" If you want to feel bad about it, don't. We would have marched in there anyway," Ryouta replied. " If anything, I suppose we have to thank you. I hate to admit it, but your super-powered crazy side apparently is really something. Even I can't decimate more than a hundred shinobis and still function."

" Actually, Aya told me that she is not more powerful than I am or anything," Suzumi replied nervously. " Aya and my abilities all stem from Suzumi previously before the mind-splice. Whatever skills we know, the old Suzumi knew. She even admitted that since she only knows half of the original's ability. To be precise, Aya only owns half the abilities of what Suzumi previous had."

There was a collective silence.

" What! ? …Ouch, fuck…." Sora exclaimed, falling back to where she was lying.

" Hang on one minute, you mean the Suzumi we knew, the one who just became a jounin, is actually capable to taking down an entire shinobi army, and she could do this with just half her power! ?" Hibiki exclaimed. " That's insane! Have you…no, has she been holding back on us all these years?"

" Yeah, she has…" Hiroshi answered.

The rest of them, including Suzumi, turned to Hiroshi. " Wait, what do you mean? Since when has she been holding back?" Mayuri asked. " Suzumi has been on life-threatening missions before, and she almost got killed, but she came nowhere close to displaying her overpowering capabilities before during those times of duress."

Hiroshi picked himself up, sitting upright as he faced the rest of them. " …Shall I explain then? This is not a particularly…pleasant story," Hiroshi replied. " This isn't the first time you had your memories modified."

Suzumi looked shocked. " What? Since when? Does Aya know?" Suzumi demanded.

" None of you knew. No surprise. After all, I destroyed a part of your memory completely," Hiroshi answered, almost as if he was bored.

" What, since when?...Ow, hurts like shit…" Sora groaned.

" …About three years ago, Sora and I paid a visit to the Sand village. Ryouta was busy with some work, bodyguard duty I believe, and Makoto and Hibiki were apparently on some escort mission," Hiroshi replied.

" Yeah, I remember that," Ryouta answered.

" Sorta…" Hibiki mused, scratching his head.

" Hang on, I do not remember ever going to the Sand village alone with you," Sora noted.

" I'll explain why," Hiroshi replied.

" What the hell? You modified my memory as well?" Sora exclaimed.

" I'll…get to that…" Hiroshi replied.

" I don't like that hesitating voice!" Sora exclaimed.

" Are you going to let me finish my part?" Hiroshi snapped.

" Please, I want to know as well," Suzumi replied. " …So does Aya."

" You can speak with her?" Mayuri mused.

" Yes, through our minds. Only one of us seems to be able to control the body at the same time, but we can apparently speak to one another freely," Suzumi replied. " I suppose, in a way, I am getting all my memories back…through Aya, I suppose…but I digress. Hiroshi, do continue."

Hiroshi looked at Suzumi, not sure if he should explain this or not.

" It was mostly on a whim. Both of us arrived at the main gate, and you greeted us there. After we engaged in a little small talk, Sora suggested trying to test your limits at genjutsu, since you always seem to hold back, even in normal fights. You were of course, not particularly keen, but both Sora and I were interested in how this might turn out, so we pestered you to try it. In the end, you gave in, so we headed to one of the training arenas. I left for a bit to get some refreshments while Sora got you started," Hiroshi replied.

" …I wasn't sure what particularly you did, but when I got back, Sora was lying face down on the ground, bleeding to death, while you were on your knees, with a look of shock on your face," Hiroshi answered.

The rest of them looked at him worriedly, wondering if it was going to get worse from here.

" I tried to wake you up from your stupor, but it was no avail. You kept muttering 'I killed him…I killed him…I'm sorry I killed him', no doubt from the shock of hurting Sora so badly," Hiroshi replied.

" Yeah, it was so bad she even forgot my gender," Sora chuckled.

" …She wasn't referring to you, apparently," Hiroshi answered.

" Huh?"

" I'll explain soon enough. Well, from what I discovered, Suzumi was in no condition to move whatsoever, and when I checked on Sora's injuries, I observed that they were self-inflicted. Now, I know Sora is a sort of masochistic person, but she's hardly the one who'd want to kill herself for the heck of it, so whatever it was, it was Suzumi's doing. I don't know what Suzumi particularly did, but if it was some genjutsu, it must have been one heck of a genjutsu to take out Sora in less than 30 seconds," Hiroshi answered. " I tried to do what I could. I treated Sora's injuries immediately, and put Suzumi under sedatives. I was to bring you two to the hospital when your mom came along."

" My…mother?" Suzumi mused.

" She came almost abruptly as I was done treating both of you, her appearance was almost too timely, as if she was waiting for the right moment to show up. From the way she spoke, it was almost as if she was expecting something like this to happen, but I didn't really want to question her since that was her intention. She instructed me to bring both of you back to your home, and I did," Hiroshi replied.

" She then requested I attempt to destroy whatever memory you had of the incident. I was hesitant, but your mom explained that this thing had happened before, where you had this uncanny ability with genjutsu that was way beyond your level of your control. When you said 'I killed him', you were referring to your dad," Hiroshi replied.

" What?"

" Your dad tried to stop you the last time when you were way younger, and I took it from your mother's tone that you had seriously injured him at that time, enough to even convince your younger self that you killed him. So, despite your natural talent for genjutsu, you never used it to its full potential since you had been mentally scarred from using it," Hiroshi replied. " I…complied with your mother's request. You don't remember this because I did forcibly erase it completely by damaging your brain. I apologise for my actions," Hiroshi replied.

" An interesting story," a voice piped up.

" Makoto!" Mayuri shouted with joy and alarm mixed within her voice.

" Yo! Looks like you all managed to cover some distance during the night. Had some slight trouble finding you," Makoto replied. He was leaning comfortably on a tree next to them, apparently having arrived during the conversation but didn't bother to interrupt.

" Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Mayuri asked, running up to him.

" I'm fine. A couple of cuts and bruises, but nothing serious," Makoto replied. " Glad to see all of you again."

Mayuri looked apprehensive. " Makoto, are you seriously not hurt? You are very bad at lying, especially to me," Mayuri replied.

" I should treat you. I am still up for the task," Suzumi replied.

" Why are you guys so worried? I know I've been through a lot, and you have been worrying about me, but I am fine. Look, can you even see any visible injuries on me?" Makoto asked, chuckling slightly.

However, Mayuri raised her hand and pushed up Makoto's forehead protector, only to reveal that he had extensive bandages underneath.

" Ah well…no big deal," Makoto replied.

" No big deal? Your eyes are hurt. How bad is it?" Mayuri exclaimed.

" Well, bad enough so that I am not going to use them anymore…but hey, it's not like I've used them much anyways. Look on the bright side, now you will 'definately' know that I'm not ogling at other girl's bums," Makoto laughed.

" …But you will not be looking at mine," Mayuri replied, with a tone of annoyance. Hiroshi felt from the tone of her voice that she was more annoyed that he actually won't be looking at her bum than him losing his eyes.

" You can't win everything," Makoto replied. " I diverted them long enough, but I suppose if they want to send a tracking team here, they can. I managed to free myself from them, and they won't be coming her anytime soon, so I suggest we lose them while we have the opportunity."

" Agreed," Ryouta replied, nodding his head. " Good to have you back with us."

" What? It's not like you guys doubted I'd not come back, right?" Makoto replied, grinning slightly.


	37. Chapter 36: Unexpected Allies

**Chapter 36: Unexpected Allies**

" How are you feeling? Feeling stiff anywhere?" Suzumi asked.

" No, I'm feeling fine. Much better now. I suppose these aren't very good resting conditions," Hiroshi replied, being helped to a sitting position to eat. Since he has been incapacitated for a while now, he had not been cooking for a while for the group, and Sora and Mayuri have been grumbling about only feeding off his rations, while still delicious, was not close enough to compare to what he would usually cook. Still, nothing could be done about it since most of them were still recovering from their last 'mission'.

" You know, I've been doing some thinking…" Sora mused.

" A rare event…" Hibiki muttered quietly, making sure it wasn't enough for her to hear it.

" About what?" Makoto asked.

" Are we going back to the Leaf, or the Sand first?" Sora replied.

" …I don't get you…" Hibiki mused.

" No, Sora is right. Remember what we initially started to do: we were supposed to send Suzumi to the Leaf to keep her protected. Now that it is over, are we supposed to take her to the Leaf or back to the Sand. This is of course assuming with Juuzou's demise, the organization is now crumbling. If not…then it's not particularly safe to go to either village, right?" Mayuri noted.

" Well, that may be the case. But we will have to return eventually. There is so much sleeping on the ground that I can endure," Ryouta replied. " We go back to the Leaf first. It was our initial destination, and we can discuss with our Hokage in regards to what we can do."

Almost two days have passed since the incident in the Blood-nin village, and they were in the middle of neutral territory between the country and the Country of Lightning. They had been hiding from the Blood-nins, and true enough, they came across several teams out to track them. They did their best in staying hidden, and so far, managed to elude their pursuers. Their injuries were quite serious, and Hiroshi and Sora had not healed enough to even walk yet.

" Hurry up and get better already so we can leave," Sora snapped at Hiroshi.

" Look at who is talking," Hiroshi mused.

" No need to worry about me. I'll be up on my feet faster than you will," Sora replied.

For the most part of the two days was just waiting, so all of them had a good chance to talk to one another, something they missed out on ever since Ryouta and his team came to the Sand village. Mayuri was mostly keeping them occupied with her antics and humour. Strangely enough, Aya didn't appear in front of them for now, which they thought was strange, but paid it no heed.

However, she did visit him in his dreams, just like before. They had one encounter the night before.

" So, tell me, I'm curious. You mentioned the last time that you couldn't affect the rest of them with this kind of dream communication. Why?" Hiroshi asked Aya as she popped up in her dream form again. They were apparently in this very posh castle, with expensive furniture and intricate designs on the walls and windows. There was a vast lake in front of the castle which was in plain view, with whales jumping up and about in the middle of the lake, which added to the surreal feeling of the dream.

" Well, you see…I can't," Aya replied, shrugging her shoulders, apparently now dressed as a princess or lord of sorts, strolling across the courtyard.

" I'm asking for the reason why," Hiroshi replied.

" That's the reason: I cannot," Aya answered. " Try as I might, I cannot induce this kind of dream to them, where we share it in a space which I created. This kind of genjutsu isn't easy, for the fact that I am not in control of the main body now, and inducing it in this incorporeal form of a body is harder than you think."

" Then, why is it that you can do this to me so easily?" Hiroshi asked.

" Oh…I am sure you know the answer," Aya replied. Hiroshi merely kept quiet, his face impassive. " Don't want to say it, then I'll answer on your behalf. It's because you want to. Something about this is compelling you to want to enter this dream, so it's easy. I mean, if someone actively wants to fall into a genjutsu, won't you agree that it will be very easy?"

" …Why would I want to do that?" Hiroshi replied.

" I can actually think of a few reasons, actually. I am, of course, what remains of a person whom you loved. We aren't the same, but we are still Nagato Suzumi," Aya answered, smiling mischeviously. Hiroshi didn't answer, or didn't bother to. " You know, I kind of understand why you don't want to tell Suzumi about your relationship with her despite her no knowing. This incident made you remember what you had to do when you erased her memory back then. It haunted you even till now, as you argued that it was done in her best interest, but you returned to the Leaf with conflicted thoughts. The reason why you didn't tell her is because you felt this has got to be some punishment for you personally which you feel inclined to suffer."

" You didn't tell her?" Hiroshi asked.

" Hiroshi, my dear, I am, and you should know by now, am a sadist. If you want to make your life miserable on purpose, I will be here waiting to enjoy it," Aya replied, laughing to herself. " You know, we never did finish that conversation."

" Which one?" Hiroshi replied.

" The one where Sora said she didn't remember any of that which you said," Aya replied.

" Oh…well, the shock and loss of blood apparently addled her memory, so she apparently didn't remember any of it, or even wanting to go to the Sand village in the first place," Hiroshi replied.

" Oh, and how did you explain that one to her?" Aya asked.

" I told her the truth. She didn't believe me, and she argued that I took her out drinking and she got drunk enough to not remember anything. It happens, and I wasn't going to particularly argue," Hiroshi replied.

" Hahaha, that is so like her," Aya laughed loudly. She then noted that Hiroshi was looking at her, with an appraising look. " What? Something on my face?"

" …No, but talking about character traits just reminded me of something odd about your name. I remember where I had heard of the name Aya before. She was the girl Makoto used to like," Hiroshi replied.

" …And?"

" Been wondering why you picked that name," Hiroshi replied. " Did you like Makoto?"

" Well, wasn't that obvious?" Aya mused, looking annoyed.

" Not particularly, really…" Hiroshi admitted.

" …I did harbor feelings for him, before…but I suppose I had to admit to myself that Makoto would never treat me more than what I am right now. Aya was something I couldn't be myself, and it was just ironic that he didn't end up with her instead," Aya answered. " Why, are you jealous?"

" Should I be?" Hiroshi asked.

" Damn, you are no fun at all," Aya replied.

To Hiroshi's surprise, Aya didn't bother to resurface to control the main body anymore since then. He wondered if she was sated enough, having met her requirements that she was now satisfied with her bloodlust. She still acted mad in their shared dreams, but she wasn't lusting after blood or violence, for now. Hiroshi wondered if some part of the old Suzumi actually harbored this kind of thoughts. If she did, she never showed it to any of them, not even him.

ooo

Despite their injuries, they did their best to travel back. It was going to be a very long journey, considering the distance and the shape they were in. Still, since the ordeal was over, despite its flaws, they were quite positive despite their situation.

" Are you sure you should be up and about? I mean, the girls keep complaining about wanting to eat something good, but you really don't need to comply with them, you know," Ryouta replied, chuckling slightly as he helped Hiroshi with setting up a fire.

" Nah, I'm fine," Hiroshi replied, while Mayuri and Sora did a 'victory dance' of sorts behind him. " Besides, I need to move a little. Lying around all day is making my back hurt."

" You sound like an old man already," Makoto replied, chuckling.

" Maybe he is," Hibiki piped in, and all of them laughed at the joke.

By now, it was far too late for Makoto to ever repair the damage to his eyes, not that Hiroshi as actually ever seen him use them much. Makoto didn't bother to want to preserve him in the off-chance they will be able to fix them when they got proper medical facilities. He insisted that Suzumi fix him with glass eyes immediately, apparently wanting one iris red and the other purple. He still kept his forehead protector over his eyes as always, so nobody would really know the difference. Hiroshi was actually quite surprised that Makoto was quite alright with this, in fact, Makoto looked like he was more relieved to lose his eyes in the first place. Hiroshi had no idea what history Makoto had with those eyes, but Hibiki had warned them before not to pry, and Hiroshi didn't want to.

" Finally got her off your back, huh?" Hibiki replied in an off-handed manner.

Makoto merely shrugged his shoulders in response. Hibiki was referring to Mayuri, who had been for the last few days clinging on, almost literally, to Makoto. Most of the time she was grumbling on how Makoto left them and almost got himself killed. Makoto was patient enough to sit through all her complaints.

" Well, she was worried," Makoto replied.

" I'd say, I was worried too…" Ryouta joked.

" How nice. But you ain't getting no kisses from me," Makoto answered, grinning.

" What are you boys up to?" Sora asked, moving towards them as they gathered around the fire.

" Cooking dinner," Hiroshi answered quickly.

" Liar…" Sora replied, prodding Hiroshi with her foot.

" Bully me any further, and no dinner for you," Hiroshi mumbled.

" Oh, is that…"

Their light banter was interrupted by a sharp, crackling sound, and some form of energy was making Hiroshi's hair on his skin stand on its end. Hiroshi almost felt like he was paralyzed to the spot. _Lightning element? An attack?_ He thought to himself.

Something moved out from behind Suzumi, and Makoto acted first. He launched himself towards the figure, parrying his punch, only to be repelled with a massive force backwards, electric sparks flying out from his body.

" Ow! What the…?" he groaned.

The figure moved again, but it was Sora this time who dashed at him. Sora moved in a split second, and Hiroshi could barely catch the moment when she collided into him. There was a loud bang, like an explosion, not before a shockwave exploded within the vicinity.

" Stop it!" Hiroshi shouted, suddenly realizing something.

" Enough, Sougo, they aren't your targets," a voice spoke up.

Looking to his right, all of them spotted a Cloud-nin. He apparently was not alone, as about 6-7 other formed ranks behind him where he stood. He had sharp, regal features, and a crop of jet black hair. His skin tone was slightly dark, apparently a feature for some Cloud-nins. Upon second glance, Hiroshi recognized him.

" Takeshi?" Hiroshi mused.

" Well met, Hiroshi. It's good to see you again after all this while. Although, I have to admit, you and your comrades looked like you have been through some rough waters," Takeshi replied.

" You know these people?" the figure named Sougo asked. Now that he had stopped himself, Hiroshi noticed that he was a kid, about probably 14-15 years of age, although he could be mistaken. He had a mess of blonde hair and clear blue eyes, with a look of arrogance in his face.

" Well, Hiroshi mostly. He was the one who saved Aiko the last time," Takeshi replied.

" Is that so?" Sougo exclaimed, his expression changing to shock and awe. Moving up to Hiroshi in a flash, he grabbed his hand and shook it. Hiroshi was quite surprised at the strength he had, despite his stature. " I've always regretted that I never got the chance to thank you for what you have done for her. I am in your debt."

" Erm…" Hiroshi mused, feeling a little awkward.

" You know these people?" Sora asked.

" Sorta," Hiroshi replied.

" …I wasn't aware that you participated in a mission to help a Cloud-nin before," Ryouta replied.

" Top secret stuff," Hiroshi replied sheepishly.

" For some lame ass shit like you, you seem to be holding a lot of secrets," Sora replied, grumbling.

" You all are far from home," Takeshi replied. " By any chance, are you all involved in what happened with the Blood-nin village?"

There was a collective silence between them.

" I won't ask for a confirmation, but don't take me for a fool," Takeshi replied. " Anyway, it looks like you all had it tough. How about you all take a break in our village? Allow me to show my thanks by offering you some form of hospitality."

" …I'd really hate to impose," Hiroshi replied.

" We'd love to," Ryouta replied.

" Excellent. Come, we can cut our mission short for just this once. Let's move," Takeshi replied, leading the way.


	38. Chapter 37: Ending the Conflict

**Chapter 37: Ending the Conflict**

" Hell yeah, this place is awesome!" Sora exclaimed. " Large mansion, posh furniture, expensive décor, luxurious looking living space. I like this place!"

" Looks like another way to fix Sora up is to throw her into a luxury mansion," Ryouta replied.

" You don't really have to do this, Takeshi. I appreciate the gesture, but I don't think I warrant such hospitality," Hiroshi replied.

All of them travelled to the Cloud village where Takeshi and Sougo lived. Takeshi had invited them to stay there until they were fit enough to go back home, and he decided that the best way to house them at his place. Hiroshi was a little dubious as to how he might be able to take care of 7 foreign shinobis, but it did occur to him that he was someone of some standing the last time he met. The luxurious mansion in front of him was testament to that.

" What's wrong with staying here?" Sora and Mayuri replied at once.

" Yeah, what's wrong with staying here?" Suzumi and Hibiki replied moments later.

" Ugh!" Hiroshi groaned.

" While I am doing this mostly because of your prior services, do know that it's not because of it that I am insisting on this. Formalities aside, right now, considering the situation, all of you do not have permits to be here, and are illegal. It does not help that on your journey here, you have alerted at least 4 minor shinobi countries, including the Blood-nins and the Steel-nins, who do not hold you all in high regard. While both our villages are fairly civil with one another, if authorities do get wind of your presence, we are to deport you to our neighbours, who have issued bounties on your heads for trespassing illegally, due to our policies with them. Officially, your village as declared whoever who has passed through the Steel-nin borders as illegals, and the Steel-nins can do as they please with you all if they do find you," Takeshi replied. " I am keeping you here because it is safer."

" You are avoiding attention. It did strike me as odd that you took the cavern entrance to your village," Ryouta replied.

" I use it occasionally when we need to ship people quietly inside," Takeshi replied.

" You sure are one heck of a maverick. Does your Raikage know about your activities?" Makoto asked.

" The Raikage has given me free reign on such matters at hand. Of course, I have to admit, I overstep my boundaries on several occasions, but I am still a loyal shinobi of my country," Takeshi replied. " So, I'm afraid you cannot stay anywhere else in this village, since you will need to stay here to keep yourself safe. I'll explain things in further detail when we are fed and well rested."

" Hell yes!" Sora exclaimed, pumping her hands in victory.

" I see your companions brook no disagreement," Takeshi laconically answered. " I hope you are not feeling too cold. The mountains can be chilling at times."

" Chilling? Ain't not match for the freezing desert," Hibiki replied. " We are fine. No need to fuss over us so much."

" Hiroshi!" a female vice exclaimed.

All of them looked upwards where the voice came from. A young girl was waving her hands excitedly at him. She had a wild crop of purple hair, and similar dark red eyes like Takeshi. With one swift motion, she bounded out of the window where she stuck her head out from, landing directly on Hiroshi's head. Despite standing on top of him, he couldn't feel her weight pressing down on him, or even the sensation of her sandals on top of his head.

" Aiko? It's been a while. How have you been?" Hiroshi replied.

" Good, better than before," Aiko answered, hopping off Hiroshi's head, not before going up to Sougo and giving him a peck on his cheek. " Hello, good to see you back. You too, brother."

Sougo started going really red in the face. " Aiko, can you not do this in public?" Sougo demanded.

" What's wrong, virgin boy? Can't stand a bit of affection?" Sora teased him.

" Hmph!" Sougo mused, puffing his cheeks. His rather cute demeanor was quite different from the deadly movements he displayed earlier.

ooo

" I do hope that you none of you are too injured to be barred from eating anything," Takeshi replied as all of them moved towards the dining area. The dining hall contained quite a sizable dining table craved from what looked like expensive marble. A few servants entered the room, and they brought along several trays of mouth-watering foods.

There was a massive selection of sashimi and sushi, along with a variety of seafood tempura that came along with soba and udon noodles, with all of the ingredients looking very expensive. Both Mayuri and Sora's eyes were practically sparkling at the sight of the display before them, which must have been luxurious compared to the simple rations Hiroshi had prepared before.

" Mind your manners and stop drooling," Makoto told Mayuri.

" Well, dig in," Takeshi replied.

" Don't mind if I do," Sora replied, helping herself and wolfing down the food as fast as she could eat it.

" You are going to need extra servings to keep her sated," Hiroshi replied.

" Is that so? My chefs will get some more to keep her satisfied then," Takeshi replied.

" It wasn't a suggestion to let her feed off you," Hiroshi replied.

" Well, there is no stopping her," Ryouta replied. " It's good that Takeshi here is very hospitable. Not sure what you did for him, but I guess this is some damn good payback."

" No need to be modest and hold back, Hiroshi. My brother likes entertaining guests, part of his work. Feasts like these are kinda a norm here," Aiko replied, not before turning to Sougo, who looked about as hesitant as Hiroshi. " And you too. I'm not sure what you are so uncomfortable about. It's not like you've never eaten here before."

" …Well, it's usually you and me only," Sougo mumbled.

" Tee hee hee…do you want me to dress up in a kimono and serve you sake?" Aiko teased him.

" I'm not old enough to drink," Sougo commented.

" That didn't stop you from…"

" Shh!"

" Huh? Is this part of the evening's entertainment?" Sora mused, her mouth full of food.

" Maybe…" Makoto replied, laughing slightly. " Is she joining us?"

All of them looked at a kunoichi standing at the entrance of the dining hall. She had a face mask on which was in the shape of a skull, so only her light blue eyes were visible on her face. She had tied her dark red hair in a long ponytail, her hair long enough to rival Mayuri's. She was dressed in standard Cloud-nin attire, along with extra bandages around her hands and legs. Her entire outfit was red in colour, almost matching with her hair.

" Oh, Kagura," Hiroshi noted.

" You seem to know a lot of people here," Sora replied suspiciously.

" Yeah, I'm having an affair with her. Besides the fact that I rarely go on overseas missions and it takes a few days at top speed to get here, there has been no problem between us," Hiroshi replied sarcastically.

" It's good to see you again," Kagura noted, although she was looking at Takeshi for some form of confirmation. " …Are they…?"

" Yes, they are. What is it?" Takeshi asked.

Kagura moved next to Takeshi, kneeling down to whisper something into his ear. Takeshi nodded when she was done passing her message to him, and he was slightly immersed in thought.

" Well, that certainly is problematic. Anyway, it would a good idea if you could stay for the night," Takeshi replied.

Kagura looked at his guests, and then nodded her head. " Certainly. I'll be upstairs if you need me," Kagura replied, and without warning, she disappeared without any trace.

" What was that about?" Hiroshi asked.

" Interesting that you should ask. I suppose I can tell you about it," Takeshi replied.

" …I think Hiroshi was actually being rhetoric," Ryouta replied.

" Rhetoric or not, I need to inform you about it, since it does pertain to you in a way. However, whatever we discuss here should be limited to this room only. Is that acceptable?" Takeshi asked.

" I really don't want to hear state secrets," Hibiki groaned.

" …All of you assassinated Hagane Juuzou, did you not?" Takeshi asked in an almost bored manner.

" Yes, we did," Ryouta answered.

" Ryouta! ?" Sora exclaimed.

" There is no point in hiding. 7 illegal shinobis in a foreign land, and the main administrative building in the Blood village now in utter ruins and their leader dead. I mean, it only takes an idiot to not know how to connect the dots," Ryouta answered. " Besides, I think Takeshi here doesn't particularly mind what we did."

" Indeed. I'm sure this organization has been plaguing your village as well, in fact more than ours. We've been carrying out missions in order to deal with his organization Juuzou has been spearheading, and it has pained us to no end. Starting a war with the Blood village would be too costly in the long run, and an assassination attempt was too difficult to carry out with their spies being at too close proximity within our village borders," Takeshi replied. " I must thank all of you for this service."

" Think nothing about it. We wanted to kill that bastard as badly as you do," Hibiki replied.

" I know, but the organization is far from destroyed," Takeshi answered.

Everyone looked at Takeshi, with perplexed and surprised looks.

" Are you shitting me?" Sora snapped at him.

" Since the demise of Juuzou, the organisation's activities have been more hectic and frequent. Juuzou is a mere puppethead. While he did fund and set up this organization, he was still a leader of his village for the most part. He has a second in command, and she is currently running the organization as of now," Takeshi replied.

" She?" Mayuri asked.

" Fumino Naoto. Officially, she is Juuzou's mistress, but she mostly does the work behind the organization. So, while assassinating Juuzou managed to shake the organization, it is still running, now perhaps without any 'official' funding by Juuzou," Takeshi replied. " Nothing has changed yet. Fumino Naoto needs to be taken down before the 'Hagane' will truly be finished."

" Shit…does this mean we need to find this bitch?" Sora mused.

" I have good news, and bad news, in that regard," Takeshi answered. " Good news: We have located Fumino Naoto. Bad news: We cannot act against her."

" Why not?" Suzumi asked.

" The organisation's spies are still active, especially in our village. The moment they catch wind of me, or any of our officers mobilizing a force, Naoto will immediately go into hiding, and trust me, when she goes into hiding, she literally disappears from the face of the earth. Our advantage is now we know her location, only problem is we don't want to scare her off. This might be our best chance, considering now that she will be busy trying to handle the organization in Juuzou's absence, which will be problematic for her, no doubt," Takeshi answered.

Sora suddenly broke into a broad grin. " I see. You cannot mobilize your troops, but since we are here, you can mobilize us," Sora replied. " …Is that the reason why you sneaked us into your house secretly?"

" Yes, part of it. I saw it as a chance. You are the only outside force available, and conveniently placed in my area. It would be correct to say I am using you, but I suppose with the situation, I doubt the Leaf or the Sand village would say no," Takeshi replied.

" Heh, you read my mind. We've come this far now, we may as well see it to the end, or I will never live it down. What do you guys think?" Ryouta asked.

" I want a piece of that bitch!" Sora replied, slamming her fists together.

" …I have no personal objections," Hiroshi answered.

" What about the rest of you?" Makoto asked.

" Hell yes!" Hibiki replied, grinning madly.

" Of course, let's do this," Mayuri replied smugly.

" I, too, do not have any problems…" Suzumi replied, her voice trailing off slightly. Hiroshi wondered if she was about to add 'and Aya too', but stopped when she realize it might not be quite normal to explain it to Takeshi and the rest of them.

" You seem to get into a lot of dangerous situations when we meet, Hiroshi," Aiko replied.

" Apparently…I think it's more likely that danger comes to find me. I'd like to avoid problems, you know, I'm not that adventurous," Hiroshi answered non-chalantly. " However, there is a slight problem with the plan. We have mostly recovered since the attack, but not all of us are in perfect fighting condition, heading off to fight in such conditions won't be favourable to us, and we might not recover in time before our target moves."

" That's easily fixed. Why'd you think my brother asked Kagura to stick around?" Aiko replied.

" …Does she have some sort of healing power?" Sora asked.

" Kagura has a bloodline ability that allows her to send out waves at specific wavelengths. When these waves hit us, they affect our cells in our body at a cellular level, increasing hormone output and release of specific enzymes that greatly speed up our healing and regenerative rates of our body beyond the normal range. Just take a break overnight, and you should be fine tomorrow," Sougo answered.

" I find that a bit too incredible to believe," Mayuri replied.

" Well, just take a break. I need to go settle some matters now, so if you will excuse me," Takeshi replied, getting up. " Aiko, can you see to it that their rooms are prepared?"

" Sure," Aiko answered. With that, Takeshi was gone in a flash.

" Well, I sure am stuffed," Sora replied, leaning back casually, picking her teeth with her fingers. " That certainly was a good meal."

" And you sure have no table manners," Hibiki snorted, taking up the same position as Sora and picked his teeth as well.

" You have no say in the matter, Hibiki," Makoto replied, sighing.

" I have a query for Sora," Sougo asked all of a sudden.

" What you want, kid?" Sora asked.

" Can we spar?" he asked.


	39. Chapter 38: Other Enemies

**Chapter 38: Other Enemies**

" Sora, this is a seriously bad idea. You've just recovered, and although you can walk, you still have not fully healed up yet. Doing a spar all of a sudden is going to be detrimental to your body, no matter how sturdy you are. Also, why the hell does your brother have a spacious underground room? Is this place made specifically to spar or something?" Hiroshi asked.

All of them had gathered at what was an enormous expense of space, almost like a large warehouse which was basically empty, their voices echoing throughout the room when they spoke. Sougo and Sora took their places in the middle of the room, both of them stretching themselves to warm up, with Sora grinning as if she was having the time of her life. Aiko moved towards one end of the wall and pushed a switch. All of sudden, Sora and Sougo were trapped in a large semi-transparent green box, which was large enough for them to maneuver freely.

" What's this?" Sora asked curiously.

" It's a type of barrier. It specifically blocks most ninjutsu abilities, so that we won't cause the ground on top of us when we go nuts," Sougo replied.

" Huh, this is pretty neat," Sora replied.

" This is no time to be admiring a barrier. Get out now!" Hiroshi exclaimed.

" Bah, I'm fine, really," Sora replied, stretching her arms. " Ouch, that stings…"

" Guys, let's stop this match," Hiroshi pleaded to the rest of them.

" I bet on Sora," Makoto replied.

" Sora's got speed, but the kid has got an edge. I'll go for him," Ryouta replied.

" I'm obviously not rooting for Sora, so Sougo better hand her ass," Hibiki replied.

" Go, Sora!" Mayuri replied.

" Nobody listens to me…" Hiroshi replied, sighing loudly.

" So, it's nice that you want to spar with me and all, but may I ask why? It was kinda sudden when you asked me that," Sora asked Sougo.

" During our first encounter, you managed to parry by strike. That's rare, so I want to see the extent of your capabilities," Sougo replied.

" Heh, I am honoured, but do know I don't go easy, sparring or not," Sora replied.

Sougo moved himself into a position to accept Sora, his fists curled up in tight balls, ready to engage her. " I wouldn't have it any other way," Sougo replied.

" Alright, let's do this. First person to have their knees hit the ground loses! Go!" Aiko exclaimed loudly.

" If someone breaks a bone, I am absolutely not going to fix the mess!" Hiroshi shouted angrily.

" But I think I will," Suzumi replied.

" Don't encourage them," Hiroshi shot back.

Sora shot forward, moving at almost breakneck speed, but Sougo could apparently match her speed. Sora wasn't sure if her eyes were deceiving her, but she seemed to spot a few of his bodies moving all over the place. Something moved in from the right, and Sora parried the blow, not before sensing something like a shockwave being emitted from it. She emitted a sonic blast of her own, pushing her and her target away from each other.

" Hmm, neat…so you control sonic blasts. Interesting to see a Leaf-nin use such tactics," Sougo replied.

" Well, they are effective, but your ability is interesting…" Sora replied.

" Ability? I didn't particularly see anything besides him moving very quickly," Mayuri replied.

" Maybe you need to parry his punch to figure out. His entire body is one big massive electric current," Sora replied.

" Well, he is just coating his body in a coat of electricity. Actually, a number of Cloud-nins know how to do this. Why would you say it was interesting?" Hibiki replied.

" Wrong, I think she meant he is conducting electricity using his body as a conductor," Ryouta replied, looking impressed.

" Wow…" Hiroshi mused.

" Sougo's family has a special bloodline ability where they can conduct and control electricity through their entire body. As for the power output that is running through his body, well, it's five times what is currently powering the barrier, and he is using 1/5th of his energy to power the barrier," Aiko replied.

" That's…immense," Hibiki noted.

" Nice, nice!" Sora screamed, not before slamming her hands together and then punching forward towards Sougo with both her hands. " Sonic Striker!"

A compact shockwave shot out from her fists, not before colliding with something invisible in front of Sougo. Sora raised an eyebrow, not before spinning around where Sougo appeared behind of her. Something invisible knocked her back, so she quickly jumped back and braced herself. Sougo snapped his fingers, and Sora felt herself feel sluggish all of a sudden.

Sougo launched himself at her, and Sora had to almost force herself to move with sheer willpower. Sora moved herself away from Sougo, forming a few hand seals, not before taking a deep breath.

" Oh, that has got to hurt in an enclosed area," Makoto noted.

" Sonic Technique: Bloody Howl!"

Sora started to scream at the top of her lungs, and the entire shockwave blast that was emitted from her mouth seemed to focus itself upon Sougo, the energy from the attack causing the ground to tremor beneath them. Sougo seemed unfazed at the attack, not before casually flexing his arms to the side. He was instantly wrapped in what looked like a blue, electrical sphere of energy. The electric shield that he was emitting was so strong, it managed to hide his body from view, and all they could see was a round, blue sphere that was cackling madly with energy. He met the attack head on, and blast smashing into his electric shield and not affecting him at all.

" Tch, so what? I've got a barrier of my own!" Sora exclaimed, not before collecting a sizable amount of chakra around her body. Her entire body seemed to vibrate violently, and the area around her looked hazy and blur.

" The hell is she doing?" Mayuri asked.

" She is using her entire body as a medium to channel out a chakra shield that is based off sonic waves. For the most part, its effective in blocking out a good number of attacks, even her destructive, barrier piercing attacks," Hiroshi answered.

" Huh, that's kinda effective," Mayuri replied.

" You don't understand Sora's ability. Each time she uses her sonic abilities, she damages her body, not to mention she hurts herself as well, since she is channeling the sonic blasts through her entire body. In effect, doing something like this is akin to blasting her body with a sonic blast, which has got to hurt like hell," Ryouta replied. " It's like she is attempting a jutsu like what Sougo is doing, but she does not have the bloodline ability for it."

" Alright, it's time…"

Sora didn't finish, and Sougo didn't manage to act as well, since all of a sudden, both of them were knocked backwards silly, their sonic and electric barriers dissipating into thin air, crashing on their bums.

" Alright, that's enough. This was supposed to be a spar, not all-out jutsu beatdown," Aiko replied, brushing her hair as she stood between the two of them.

" …Can someone explain to me how the hell did she phase through the still active barrier that managed to contain their powers, while disabling them through two barriers that has got to hurt even just touching them?" Hibiki asked.

" …She's better than you," Makoto answered.

" And you for the matter," Hibiki snapped back.

Makoto merely shrugged his shoulders. " I can live with that," he answered.

" Alright, alright, we shouldn't strain ourselves too much," Aiko replied. " We don't want you two to kill each other too quickly now."

The rest of them talked and joked amongst themselves, with them mostly laughing at Sora throwing a tantrum of sorts. Ryouta was laughing along with them when he saw Sougo approach him with an apprehensive look.

" Is there a problem?" Ryouta asked.

" You have quite a collection of Blood-line users in your group," Sougo replied. " Which is strange, since I wasn't expecting any of you to be Blood-line ability users."

Ryouta wasn't sure what he was saying. " Excuse me, how can you say that?" Ryouta replied.

" My ability. Besides its power, it grants me to ability to sense electrical impulses in a human body, in short, the nerve system of the body. A normal shinobi will have a normal nerve system, and anyone with odd nerve pathways, which also means altered chakra pathways, are Blood-line users," Ryouta replied. " I can also sense what type. Like alterations to the nerves in the eyes indicate a doujutsu user, while alterations to the hands suggest chakra control of special ninjutsu."

" …Is that so?" Ryouta mused.

" So, from what I can sense, that Mayuri girl has a Blood-line ability that is mental, or has something to do with her hair, and the Suzumi girl has an ability as well. Surprisingly, you do as well," Sougo replied.

" Well, I suspect as much," Ryouta replied.

" …You mean you don't know your Blood-line ability?" Sougo asked.

" Nope, but I'll get to that someday," Ryouta replied, not before wondering if he could use Sougo in some way. " Say, would you mind doing me a favour with that Bloo-line detection ability of yours?"

" What do you want me to do?" Sougo asked.

" Sense Suzumi, and tell me what you sense," Ryouta replied.

" Well, for the most part, her nerves throughout her entire body is quite haywire, and there seems to be another personality residing inside of her," Sougo replied. Looking at Ryouta's slightly alarmed face, he continued " Part of her brain is being controlled by something else, another personality, so a separate set of nerve signals are running through her body. I've met a couple of cases with split personalities, so I know. I suppose you want me to keep quiet about this, don't you?"

" I'd appreciate it, and thanks, I think I've learned a few important things," Ryouta replied.

" I see. No wonder you had them over. I guess it does help that we know Hiroshi to some degree," Kagura replied, folding her hands as Takeshi continued to deal with some of the administrative stuff on his desk, filing report after report. " But if we want to move, we might need to move fast. There is no guarantee that our main target will stay there."

" No point in moving until all of them have recovered. Moving now will only weaken our chances in getting her, and using anyone else might tip her off. I suppose it's antagonizing to wait knowing your prey is just within your grasp," Takeshi replied.

" …I do have another thing to report," Kagura replied.

" What is it?"

" …A messenger from the Steel-nin village is here to see you," Kagura replied.

" *sigh*…Am I really needed?" Takeshi asked, sounding reluctant to meet this messenger.

Kagura nodded her head, and Takeshi merely clicked his tongue. Getting up from his chair, he said " Alright then, I assume he's already downstairs," Takeshi replied.

" Yes, and I've managed to keep our guest out of sight for now," Kagura replied.

" Good," Takeshi replied.

Heading downstairs and upon entering his living room, he spotted the Steel-nin messenger, who was standing in his room. He was dressed in a jet black cloak that covered most of his body, leaving only his face exposed. Even then, most of his face was obscured by these large black goggles he had. Both his escorts were dressed almost similarly, except they were wearing masks instead of goggles.

" Well, it's nice to see you again, Daisuke," Takeshi replied. " What brings you here?"

" I have a request," Daisuke spoke.

" I'll see if I can accommodate. Please, take a seat," Takeshi replied.

" No thank you, it will not take long," Daisuke answered curtly. Takeshi sensed the edge in his voice, and it made him feel somewhat dangerous.

" Alright, what do you want?" Takeshi asked.

" Recently, a group of rogue shinobis passed through the area. We have much reason to believe that this group consist of Leaf and Sand-nins, although we cannot directly confirm. However, they might have passed this way, and they might be hiding in the neighbouring countries," Daisuke replied.

" I see. Thanks for the warning. I'll try to get on contact with my agents and affiliates of both countries and see what I can pull out," Takeshi replied.

" No, you don't understand. If you are to find them, my request is that you turn them to us," Daisuke replied.

" This isn't your country, so dealing with rogue-nins will be our responsibility. If they do manage to wander back into your country, you are free to do as you please with them," Takeshi replied. " I doubt the Leaf and Sand are that stupid to want to break war with your country, so your suspicions against them are unwarranted."

" These bastards annihilated one of our patrols," Daisuke answered tersely.

" I see…they probably…"

" Kanae was amongst them," Daisuke answered before Takeshi could finish.

There was a look of regret on Takeshi's face, and his expression softened slightly. " I'm sorry to hear that. I cannot guarantee anything, since I do not hold absolute power over the administration of this village, despite any rumours. However, if any news is to arise, I will inform you immediately, and you can make your plea to my Raikage is you wish to do so. Is that acceptable?"

Daisuke kept quiet, almost as still as a statue. He nodded his head once, not before disappearing all of a sudden, his escorts leaving with him a split second later. Takeshi looked at Kagura, and she nodded her head. " …They're gone," she replied. " Do you think…?"

" No doubt about it. Hiroshi and his companions moved through their country and most likely killed the patrol to silence them, or else they wouldn't have been able to make it this far," Takeshi replied.

" Wouldn't it be dangerous to field them then? I'm sure Daisuke isn't going to let this go easily, and I think he has his suspicions. Kanae…she was dear to him," Kagura replied.

" Ultimately, it is possibly the fault of the Leaf and the Sand who started to the war against the Steel-nins a long time ago that this gap was now made. Their relationship is mending, but not at a cost, and shinobi emotions don't forget or forgive so easily. However, we are dealing with is a organization that has been plaguing our country for years. As a husband, I can understand Daisuke's sentiments, but as a shinobi of this country, a loss of someone's wife is a mere trifling matter in destroying this organization," Takeshi answered, not before exiting the room. " Secondly, I owe Hiroshi personally, so I'll let it slip. Besides, I'd rather be friends with a person like Hiroshi rather than Daisuke, our country relations be damned."


	40. Chapter 39: Getting Ready

**Chapter 39: Getting Ready**

Although it wasn't part of her habit, Sora found herself waking up early for once. Two days have passed since they had arrived at the Cloud-village where Takeshi was sheltering them, all part of a plan to eventually crush what remains of the organisation that was known as the 'Hagane'. It has indeed been a bumpy ride, ever since they were forced to flee from their village, although it was more towards the fact that Hayate merely 'persuaded' them to come along with his charade. Sora wondered if he actually managed to plan up until this far, predicting their actions to join up with the Clouds.

If so, it might explain Takeshi's encounter with them. The Cloud-nins were patrolling in an area away from their jurisdiction, or was most certainly somewhere far. Was it merely by chance Takeshi was moving along the near-side border of the Blood-nin village? But if it wasn't, then it still didn't explain how Hayate managed to get him to patrol the area. Sora didn't bother asking. She was far more interested in beating the crap out of what remained of the organisation.

She has surprisingly healed very quickly, and they were not joking about Kagura's ability. Normally, even for her standards, the injuries she carried would at least take almost a week to completely recover. Now, just with two days of rest, she was fit as a fiddle and perfectly healthy, although the enormous supply of good food helped as well.

Getting out of bed, she got dressed, putting on her attire. Having Hiroshi around was very useful, as he had a small collection of clothes they could use, so they didn't need to be stuck with the same attire which would smell after a while . As promised, Sora wrapped the special hand bandages Hiroshi made for her, not before slipping on her customary fingerless gloves.

Sora's destructive capabilities were coming at a price. The extent of the damage was not only to her enemies or target, but the rebound from the shockwaves she emits was damaging her body as well, especially her arms. Ryouta and Hiroshi didn't really approve such a detrimental technique, but they had to admit it was Sora's niche to be destructive, and her capabilities have proven to be a lifesaver on occasions. Hiroshi has made some special bandages that lessen the shock of her attacks, so that he bones won't deteriorate before she hits her late twenties. However, the extent of the damage to her hands would over time affect her. Sora has promised to limit her usage of her Sonic techniques, but due to her rash and excitable nature, it was hard to contain.

Getting out of her room, she headed downstairs to find something to eat, only to see Takeshi sitting in the dining room, having finished his.

" You are up early. How are you feeling today?" Takeshi asked.

Sora flexed her fingers in front of him. " Perfect. I am in perfect condition. Kagura's ability is surely very effective," Sora replied.

" Excellent, your recovery has come in perfect timing," Takeshi replied.

" Why is that?"

ooo

" Our target is leaving?" Hibiki asked.

" Indeed. One of my spies has reported that she intends to leave towards the northern seas. If she does manage to make the journey, it will prove difficult to track her down. She's probably trying to lie low for a bit," Takeshi replied.

" This means if we want to catch her, we need to do it now!" Sora exclaimed, slamming her fists together.

" If there is anyone we need to be worried about, it's you," Hiroshi noted.

" I'm in perfect health. Shall I demonstrate using you as a target?" Sora asked.

" …Diagnosis: Confirmed to be in excellent condition, with some levels of acceptable brain damage," Hiroshi replied, sighing.

" Where's our target?" Ryouta asked as Sora pounced on Hiroshi to mess with him for his insult.

" In a northwest town of Mioya. It's one of their bases, we suspect, so there will be heavy resistance if we attack," Takeshi answered.

" Well, that's why we are here, correct? I suppose this is quite sudden, but shall we be moving out now?" Makoto asked.

" Most certainly," Takeshi answered. " Follow me."

ooo

All of them followed Takeshi to the same room Aiko brought them for Sora and Sougo to spar, except this time around a very large seal was placed in the middle, and Aiko was somewhat busy placing the finishing touches on it.

" What is this?" Hibiki asked.

" A summoning seal, from the looks of it," Makoto replied.

" You were lying about them screwing with your eyes, aren't you?" Mayuri asked, chuckling slightly.

" That's right. It'll be easier to transport you this was to Mioya. I'll be in charge of the seal here, while our contact in Mioya will summon you there," Aiko replied, placing the finishing touches on the seal. " There we go. All finished. Are you all heading out now?"

" Yes, the sooner, the better," Takeshi replied.

" So, who else is coming besides you?" Sora asked.

" We are," Sougo replied as he appeared behind them, with Kagura right behind them.

" So, we got a nice collection of 10 people. I say these are fairly good odds," Sora replied, slamming her fists together.

" This means Aiko's not coming?" Ryouta asked.

" Well, someone has to maintain the summoning seal on this side, and besides, I'm not a jounin yet, so it's not safe for me to go," Aiko replied. " I'll leave the more dangerous stuff for you people to deal with. Have fun!"

" If she is a chuunin, how the hell did she simultaneously stop both Sougo and me?" Sora asked Hiroshi.

" ...You suck?" Hiroshi suggested.

ooo

As the flash died down, Ryouta's vision returned to him, and the first thing he noticed was that he was standing on a knoll that was overlooking what looked like a village with a fairly large harbour. A number of large ships could be seen docked by the harbour, and some people in the distance could be seen moving shipments of crates onto the ships. Ryouta squinted his eyes, trying to make out if the ships had any distinctive qualities or identification marks, but he could not find any, besides being relatively plain.

" And this would be Mioya?" Ryouta asked.

" Indeed, but it's merely a base for this organisation. Somewhere inside is Naoto, and we will need to find her," Takeshi replied. " Take a note at some of the people bringing the crates on board the ships."

Ryouta gave a closer look. At first, nothing seemed amiss, although he seemed to notice from the subtle signs of the wooden floor and the way they carried the crates, the crates seemed to contain something heavy, too heavy to be carried by only one person.

" ...Shinobis?" Ryouta mused.

" No doubt, and these ships belong to Naoto. The people working at the shipyard aren't the only people under her. There are plenty of shinobis around here as well. This is pretty much one of their bases of operations," Takeshi replied.

" Can't you just send in a large division and take all of them down?" Hibiki asked.

" They are crafty. Attacking such a place will require manpower, and there are spies in our village who can sniff an on-coming attack. We attempted it twice before, but the members usually vacate the area before be even arrive. We are still in luck, they still haven't caught our presence, although bringing supplies onto the ships possibly means it will be leaving soon, and if Naoto leaves, it will be problematic," Takeshi replied.

" So, how do we do this? Bust in there and beat the shit out of everyone?" Sora asked.

" We need to check out the area first," Sougo replied, not before clicking his tongue twice. Ryouta and the rest of them wondered what it was all about, when they felt an invisible presence dawn upon them all.

" You made it. What can you report?" Takeshi asked in an off-handed manner.

" The inside is quite heavily guarded. At least 40 shinobis are inside, along with the 13 Void Hunters, along with Naoto. She is present at the harbour and is waiting. I have yet to confirm when she will depart, but I suspect it is today. About 30 of them are situated around the place, while the rest and the 13 Void Hunters are located near to the harbour. He layout of the place is as I have shown. I suspect that they have some suspicion that I have been keeping watch on them," a genderless voice replied all of a sudden, echoing in their heads.

" Excellent work. Is everything still the same?" Takeshi asked.

" Most of it. The shinobis have been moving around irregularly though," the voice answered again.

" Good," Takeshi replied. " Everyone, I'd like you to meet Kai. I must apologise on his behalf for not showing himself, but he is the best covert agent I have. Do you have any queries about this mission which you liked to ask Kai?"

" ...You mentioned the 13 Void Hunters. I've heard the term before. They were the ones chasing us there and harassing us occasionally. Who are they?" Ryouta asked, feeling a little silly as he was asking to an invisible being, not sure where to face.

" The 13 Void Hunters are the best fighting power the organisation has. The numbers shift occasionally, but they are Naoto's personal elite force. I seem to notice one of them is missing. Since you mentioned that they have been harassing you, can I assume that you actually dealt with one of them?" Kai asked.

" We did," Sora replied, smirking as she looked at Suzumi, who looked away.

Ryouta thought about it for a minute. This organisation sent their best to attempt to catch Suzumi, not to mention alter her mind to make her even more powerful to evoke her hidden bloodline ability. Ryouta hated to think of the consequences, but he decided to ignore it at this point.

" We've met most of them while we were coming here. Can you share information, especially their abilities, to us?" Ryouta asked.

There was an audible pause. " They are our allies. I allow it," Takeshi spoke all of a sudden, possibly to encourage Kai to share information with shinobis from another village.

" Yamamoto Haji is a bug user. He specialises in using bees as his form of attacks and his attack variants. He shares some traits with the Aburame clan of the Leaf in the way he cares for his bugs," Kai replied.

" ...Which means the only thing we know is that he's creepy as well?" Hiroshi mused.

" Kaname Reina is kunoichi who used to be from the Sound village, so she has a number of shockwave and sonic based attacks, mostly ranged attacks which are transmitted by the ground, but not limited to that. Kagerou Sakuya is a sword user. Her style uses genjutsu along with her swordplay, although the type and effect of the genjutsu is not particularly known to me, but it probably has to do with her trying to hide her strikes," Dai continued. " Iga Yashamaru is a powerful melee taijutsu specialist. Close combat is not recommended, as he can easily hurt you by merely touching you, unless you have an equal power of attack to retaliate. Sakata Matsuda is a bloodline ability user who has corrosive blood, which is much more potent than most acids we have. Again, close combat with him is not suggested."

" Yeah, I seem to remember these few people," Makoto mused.

" Negi Tsubaki is also a bloodline ability user, and her abilities are akin to a vampire. Her ability is to absorb blood to regenerate herself, and although I have yet to see it, she can apparently do it from afar. Sakata Heihachi has the ability to shapeshift, his form usually taking a metallic shape and sheen. Kazoku Kouma is a Rock-nin who can summon rock golems," Dai continued.

" Hang on, I have a question. I fought Kouma before, and yes, he can indeed summon golems, but I noticed that he seems capable of shrugging off any type of attack, be it piercing, elemental based or even explosions, like he has some form of all-powerful shield. How does he do this?" Hiroshi asked.

" Summoning golems to fight is more of a secondary ability to him. His primary ability to summon a rock golem using himself as a base," Dai answered.

" You mean...he covers himself in a layer of rock?" Hiroshi asked.

" More specifically, I suspect it is a layer of chakra powered earth material. His armour is quite impervious to almost anything, even lightning based attacks, even with the elemental weakness included. I have no idea how to bypass it, although he needs chakra to maintain his armour, but he seems capable for having it on for more than an hour," Dai answered.

" Well, I suppose if I meet him, I'll have to see what I can do," Sora replied, chuckling.

" Another 4 are related to one another. I suppose you have dealt with Nagato Yuuko. The three others are Nagato Akiha, Nagato Minami and Nagato Kouga. I do not have much information on them since they are relatively new operatives," Dai answered. Ryouta looked at the Cloud-nins. If they suspected some relation with Nagato Suzumi, they didn't show any visible signs.

" Mika Miyako is their last member. She is by far the most competent shinobi of the group. Her abilities seem to be analysing her opponents, and countering by using suitable techniques to neutralise their attacks. She is the youngest of the group, possibly younger than 12, although I cannot be certain. She almost always dresses in a kimono for some reason," Dai answered. " Is that all you need?"

" ...Yeah...thanks," Ryouta replied, and the feeling of an invisible presence disappeared a second later.

" He isn't coming with us?" Mayuri asked.

" Dai's not the combat type," Takeshi replied. " So he won't be joining us."

" May I interject with something?" Makoto replied.

" Fire away," Takeshi replied.

" I seem to notice three targets who are located at the outskirts of the city. They...seem to be signalling to me," Makoto replied.

The rest of them gave him an incredulous look. " What the hell do you mean signalling to you?" Hibiki asked.

Makoto tapped his left ear. " One of them is whistling, except the person is whistling at such a frequency only people who's ears are sensitive to such a frequency can pick it up. Whoever is sending this frequency is sending it directly to me, and at the very least, knows I can pick it up," Makoto replied.

" Are you sure?" Ryouta asked. He looked back at the shinobis who were working at the docks, and nothing seemed to be out of place. " Are they signalling to us because they found us out, or they want something else?"

" Shall we meet them then?" Takeshi asked.

" Are you serious?" Suzumi exclaimed.

" Well, this is highly irregular, but if they were with Naoto, they would have alerted her already, and the city would be in a slight frenzy to secure her escape. Also, do note that we have just barely arrived for a couple of minutes. Even if they had a sensor type shinobi, at this range, it would be impossible to track us without the aid of seals or barriers, and Sougo has yet to detect anything of the sort in the vicinity. Only other explanation that they could locate you would be that they were expecting you," Takeshi replied.

" We are in a foreign country. Who the hell would be expecting us?" Sora replied.

" Well then, why don't we go find out?" Hibiki asked. " Where did you say there were, Makoto?"

ooo

Following Makoto, they headed towards a clearing at the outskirts of the city. A lone figure was waiting for them, dressed in what looked like Cloud-nin gear, but Takeshi had explicitly said that nobody else besides him, Sougo and Kagura were supposed to be in their group. She had short purple hair and light green eyes, and she smiled at them as they approached her.

" Alright, you little bitch, who the hell are you and why did you call out to us?" Sora demanded, cracking her knuckles.

" Wait," the unknown female replied, raising her hands to show she meant no harm. " I know you all are here to finish off what remains of the 'organisation' and to capture Naoto. I was hoping I could lend my services as well."

" Then why do you have two people hiding in the surrounding area? To ambush us?" Makoto asked all of a sudden. Sougo twitched slightly when he heard the words, his eyes darting around.

" We have our reasons. Two of my companions are very well-known criminals, so it might be problematic is they showed their faces first. We planned on discussing this as a whole, but you might think this was a trap if they showed their faces first. Shall I call them out now?" the unknown female asked.

" By all means," Ryouta replied.

The female snapped her fingers twice, and two other kunoichis appeared by her side. Hiroshi understood why she said she wanted to keep them hidden first, since seeing them all of a sudden was almost a cause for concern, not to mention most of them could recognise them.

" ...You...!" Sora pointed at the one on the left, her expression one of seething and disgust.

" ...Interesting to see you here..." Kagura noted.

" Yo, it's been a long time, bitch. Still alive, I see," Akane directed her words to Sora, snickering as she did so.

" Calm down, Akane. I already said you are forbidden to fight with them," Maya replied, brushing her hair with an air of arrogance. " It's been years since I have seen you kids, and you all look grown up now...very nice...has it been 9 years now?"

" What the hell are you doing here, Maya?" Ryouta snarled, gritting his teeth.

" Can't I come to say hello? How cold," Maya replied, pouting childishly.

" Ah, I recognise you," Hiroshi exclaimed, recalling who the purple haired female was. " You're Kaname! You were with Maya the other time when you tried to catch us as genins!"

" Wow, you have good memory," Kaname replied, smiling.

" How could I forget? You cut me up the last time," Hiroshi exclaimed.

" You actually know these people?" Takeshi replied. " Maya aside since she is an international criminal, but you actually met the other two before?"

" Well, this is the first time most of us are seeing Kaname, since only Hibiki and Hiroshi met her the last time, but yeah, we've met Akane," Makoto replied. Hiroshi stole a look at Suzumi, who looked slightly confused at the sight of them. It was to be expected. Her memory split removed parts which remembered them, and she only met the three missing-nins only when she was on missions with them.

" What do you want?" Ryouta demanded.

" To help a little," Maya answered.

" And why should we believe you?" Ryouta asked.

" Because I wish to destroy this organisation. When I receive word that a group attacked the Blood-nin capital, I went and did a little investigating, and sure enough, I found traces of your handiwork there. Logically, if you were crazy enough to go to the middle of an enemy country to settle a cause, I suspect you will go all out and finish them for good," Maya replied.

" ...How the hell did you know we would come here?" Hiroshi demanded.

" Simple," Maya answered. " Know a bratty runt named Hayate?"

" What?" Sora exclaimed, flaring up.

" I was helping him, of sorts. I had my own personal goals, and he had his, which were almost mutual, so we were working together. Hayate's brain was his gift, since he was even able to plan out this strategy that even preceded his death. See, settling Juuzou wasn't entire enough to finish the organisation, but at that point, it was most likely that you were too tired and injured to finish the fight," Maya replied. " So, obviously, you needed to rest a little to regain your strength before you tackle the second pickle: Naoto."

" Obviously, you will need a place to hide to regain your strength. Now here's the problem: You are still foreigners, so the Cloud will still not look too kindly on you, and I've heard of the fiasco at the Steel-nin country, so all of them are out for your blood," Maya replied.

" What? I thought we passed through their country undetected," Makoto mused.

" ...What's this? Word was that you annihilated an entire patrol while passing through the country," Akane replied, laughing. " A bunch of them kids as well. Kinda harsh, don't you think, coming from you people?"

" Yeah, I did that. We couldn't have the entire country alerted of our presence, so I did what I had to do," Hiroshi answered. All of them turned to him shock, quite surprised that he actually concealed this information until now.

" Hold up, you didn't bother telling us this?" Sora exclaimed.

" Quiet, Sora, it's not like we didn't know already," Ryouta replied. Hiroshi figured that he only said that in order to placate her. He was probably quite as shocked as she was about the news, but he had other pressing matters at hand to handle. " So, we were trapped in enemy territory. What then?"

" Well, I was quite aware of Hiroshi and the incident some time ago in which he helped rescue your younger sister. Isn't that right Takeshi?" Maya asked, but Takeshi looked indifferent. " Takeshi owed a debt to Hiroshi, and not to mention he is as keen to see this organisation crushed, so he would not only help hide them, but to enlist for their aid as well."

" Which is why you found us out the moment we came here. Naoto leaving would prompt us to arrive to catch her," Makoto replied.

" Bingo!" Akane replied.

" And...the reason you seem to know so much is because you are part of the organisation, aren't you?" Ryouta replied. " It will explain why you know their inner works."

" True, I won't deny that," Maya replied.

" So, the question is, why are you helping us?" Ryouta asked.

" Ryouta, my dear boy, that's you mistake. I said I am part of the 'organisation', but I am not loyal to it," Maya answered.

" Then why join in the first place?" Ryouta asked.

" So I can destroy it," Maya answered. " From the inside, of course."

" Why?"

" Because I can..." Maya replied, breaking into a grin.


	41. Chapter 40: Unanswered Questions

**Chapter 40: Unanswered Questions**

" …What exactly are they doing?" Kagura asked.

Sora and Akane was seated opposite each other, both of them folding their legs as they glared at each other, Akane mostly smirking while Sora was growling fiercely at her. Despite the highly strung tension between them, neither one of them moved an inch, glaring at each other with an intensity that might just crack at any given moment.

" Well, the last time these gals were harassing us was when we had to escort this certain VIP. Sora had her ass handed to her, and almost got killed no thanks to Akane, so thus the animosity," Hiroshi answered.

" Almost like a rivalry of sorts. Akane can be obsessed sometimes," Kaname replied.

" …Why are you here?" Hiroshi asked.

" It's boring not doing anything. We may as well engage in some useless small talk," Kaname replied.

All of them were patiently waiting some distance from the city. Maya had offered information and assistance in destroying the organization, but being a wanted missing-nin, they were certainly cautious. Her personal goals were unknown to them, except she seemed willing to help them at any cost. Thus, Takeshi, Ryouta and Makoto were off somewhere discussing with Maya, while the rest of them kept an eye on Kaname and Akane.

" …Where are you from?" Kagura asked.

" …Not from your village?" Hiroshi asked. He could have guessed, since not all missing-nins wear their village attire, and occasionally steal other villages uniforms to blend in. Still, Hiroshi somehow noted that it was odd that Kaname was wearing the Cloud-nin standard uniform, almost uncannily similar to the time they last met, not to mention it looked fairly new, so it was definitely a new one compared to the one she wore before. Hiroshi wondered why she had some form of fixation on the uniform, now more so when Kagura had confirmed that she wasn't a Cloud-nin.

" It's comfortable," Kaname answered.

" …Where did you get them?" Kagura asked. Hiroshi wasn't sure if he liked to hear that she pilfered them off dead Cloud-nins.

" The shipment of uniforms usually comes by ship from the north. I occasionally steal a set or two," Kaname replied. " Logistics usually miss the occasional missing uniform."

" Still haven't answered where you are from," Hiroshi replied.

" I don't know," Kaname replied. " No, seriously. Been moving along with poor travelling merchants and farmers as long as I could remember. I don't remember what country I even originated from, not that it really matters."

" …I don't get it," Hiroshi replied.

"…Get what?" Kaname asked.

" You. You seem like a nice person. Even before you weren't particularly vicious, merciful in fact, and you don't really strike me as the type that would actually actively hurt or injure someone else. Why are living such a life?" Hiroshi asked.

Kaname laughed slightly, almost as if Hiroshi's statement was very hilarious. " Hiroshi, you are so naïve. Being a nice person doesn't mean that the world won't hate you. Now, what actually constitutes a missing-nin?" Kaname asked, almost as if she was like a teacher at the academy.

" …Uh, a shinobi who betrays his country?" Hiroshi replied, figuring this was some sort of trick question.

" That's the idea, but not exactly. Basically, a missing-nin is a shinobi who leaves his country. Betray is such a harsh word. Who is to say that their country is in the right? You know what's the irony of being a shinobi? If your country ever strays off the beaten path, and you try to fight back what you believe to be wrong, you will be branded a traitor, and the world as a whole will come to hate you. There is the crafted idea that virtually all missing-nins are bad, or have some form of evil intent, but the basis of hunting down missing-nins are to keep their secrets from leaking out to enemy countries, or if you are from another country, steal another country's assets," Kaname answered. " Tell me, do you know anyone in your village who actually retires?"

" Of course. If you have injured yourself to a point or are too old, obviously they won't put you in the field anymore and you will need to retire from active duty," Hiroshi answered.

" Not that kind. I meant that if you don't want to constantly risk your life, and you want to retire before any of the two scenarios above happen, can you actually do it?" Kaname asked. Hiroshi thought for a minute, only to realize that it was practically unheard of. " You cannot retire. When you become a shinobi, you join until you die in the line of duty."

" So, are you suggesting this is a flawed system?" Hiroshi asked.

" Not exactly, but I am merely proving a theory in which to show that I can be good at heart and still be a missing-nin," Kaname replied. " Let's take Maya for example. I think that she is a good person at heart, but I am sure you disagree."

" …She's…odd… but must most certainly dangerous," Hiroshi replied.

" Why?" Kaname asked. Hiroshi didn't like where this conversation was going, since he felt like he was going to lose it. " Because of all the atrocities she has caused. Because of all the people she has killed? Who is to judge what is right, and who is wrong? Tell me, Maya plans on destroying this organization, the same as you. Does this make her right, or wrong?"

" Both," someone interjected.

The three of them looked up to see Sougo, who had curiously wandered over to see what the fuss was all about. " If I were to destroy the organization, I would be hailed as a hero in my village. If Maya, a missing-nin, was to destroy the organization, even with the purest of intentions, she would be branded as an even more dangerous criminal," Sougo replied.

" Couldn't say it better myself. The reason why Maya doesn't particularly care about morals is because the world doesn't. Any action a missing-nin takes will only serve to make them a villain. A crafty system," Kaname replied. " You said whether I was implying that the system was flawed. No, but the system is man-made, and any system made by humans will have underlying motives and notions to it. Flaws are everywhere. Let's me start with one large problem: recruiting shinobis. Now tell me, what is the normal recruiting age in the village?"

" 12, as a genin, for normal people," Hiroshi answered.

" No, I mean when you start studying in the academy. What age are you at?"

" I started when I was 7," Hiroshi replied.

" Now, a shinobi's life is full of danger and risk, and it is common knowledge that you can very easily die on the job, even a simple, risk-free job. Now, you enter the academy at the age of 7. Do you actually have a choice?" Kaname asked.

" …Yes?"

" Depends. If you are from a family of shinobis, or from the powerful shinobi families, you are guaranteed to enlist as a shinobi, no questions. If your parent or parents are shinobis, then there is no choice, merely an obligation," Kaname replied. " But your case is not the same. Your parents are not shinobis, so enlisting in the academy is a choice. Assuming you did choose to become a shinobi, please answer me this: why did you want to become a shinobi?"

" I want to serve and…"

" Don't pull that patriotic bullshit on me. That's the thing that they condition you to think when you are in the academy. Tell me honestly, at the young, impressionable age of 7 years old, when you were given the choice to enlist, why did you want to enlist?" Kaname asked.

Hiroshi turned a shade of red. " Because…because I thought it was cool," Hiroshi admitted.

" Exactly, yet you know for a fact that this is a high risk job. Your parents know it's a high risk job. Logically thinking, you would avoid this. Why don't you?" Kaname asked. " Of course not. At the age of 7, the word death is merely just that, a word. Your young mind will not be able to comprehend the real concept of what danger really is. Of course, your parents, the common people, will agree with you. After all, with shinobis, there is law and order, and with our abilities, people who are merely normal are mere second class citizens compared to supernatural beings like us. Any parent would want their child to become a shinobi, it's like becoming a hero."

" Now, consider your duties as a shinobi. You are to be the country's elite task force, a powerful being to bring law and order to the country, to fight and die for the country, to handle intimate and dangerous materials, literally or metaphorically. Is this something that should be left to a 7 year old to decide about his or her future?" Kaname asked.

Hiroshi was a little stumped with the all the moral dilemmas.

" You are no longer the innocent genin as before, and you have seen a little of the world, but don't treat us too harshly. We are villains because people say we are," Kaname replied. " People always argue about the greater good. Nobody is ever right, and nobody is ever wrong. Let me give you a hypothetical situation: If the world can actually attain world peace, at the cost of killing …let's say, Suzumi, would you endorse this plan?"

" …You assume…"

" And I assume correctly that she is important to you," Kaname replied. " Will you, or will you not?"

" …No…" Hiroshi answered.

" Partially correct. Knowing Suzumi's nature, she would gladly accept the responsibility and kill herself. Knowing you, you will have to accept her decision, and you will kill yourself so you can then join her in death," Kaname corrected.

" …I thought you discussing about me," Hiroshi noted.

" I am…or at least I still think I am," Kaname replied.

Hiroshi merely smiled. " You are a nice girl," he replied.

" I know," Kaname replied, smiling sweetly back at him.

ooo

" …Three sentries are usually at the north side. Assuming we actually get to destroy the ships, Naoto will have no escape. Question is if we can take down their forces fast enough," Maya replied, finishing her explanation. " So, what do you think?"

Makoto, Ryouta and Takeshi looked at each other. Maya had just briefed them on whatever details she had, and her suggested plan of action. All the information proved to be useful, and it would certainly raise their chances of victory if they were to follow it. Still, this was Maya they were talking about. All of them turned around and quietly spoke to each other.

" Well, I can confirm the locations she mentioned, and the details of the city match her description from what I can scan," Makoto replied. " Problem is whether we can trust her or not."

" I'm not sure about this. What do you think? Does she have an underlying motive?" Takeshi asked.

" Most certainly, but the question is whether her underlying motive will bite us or not," Ryouta replied.

" She doesn't seem to be lying, but what do we do?" Makoto asked.

Ryouta thought for a minute. " Give me some time with her. I will check and see whether we can trust her or not," Ryouta replied.

" What are you going to ask?" Makoto asked.

" I'll…think of something. The question is, if I think she's being helpful, are you comfortable with accepting help from her?" Ryouta asked, directing his question to Takeshi.

" Personally, I wouldn't mind. I've accepted aid from weird and dangerous people before. This wouldn't be a first," Takeshi replied.

" Okay, I'll see what I can find," Ryouta replied. Both of them nodded their heads and left the area.

" Hmm? What's this?" Maya asked, seeing them leaving Ryouta with her alone.

" I have a few questions to ask before we can cooperate," Ryouta replied.

" That's fine with me, but are you comfortable speaking to me alone?" Maya asked.

" I think you are hardly a threat. If you wish to fight, I believe I can take you on anytime," Ryouta replied.

" How confident…what is it that you want to ask?"

" What exactly is our relationship?" Ryouta asked.

" …Is this a joke question?" Maka asked, raising an eyebrow.

" No, and I suspect you know this question was coming all along. The time you tried to kidnap us, you were somewhat fixated on me, not to mention you seem to know who I am. My guess was that you were personally there to take me. You know who I really am, so I'd like you to tell me what I am," Ryouta replied.

Maya sighed. " It's a long story. Still want to hear?" Maya asked.

" We have time," Ryouta answered.

" Well…you know as much that I used to be a Sound-nin back when the legendary Orochimaru was still in power. I was something like him, as in I liked to experiment on jutsus and the sort. He had the facilities, I had the need. I was sort of part of his research team, so to speak," Maya replied. " I was interested in the human limits, mainly elemental abilities. You ever wonder why nobody seems to be able to master more than 2 or 3 elements, most of the time sticking only to 1?"

" …Chakra nodes. The elemental jutsus you use is limited to the amount of the elemental chakra nodes in your body. This is mainly limited to one type, which determines your main elemental affinity. Using other types of elements usually places a strain on your main type of chakra nodes, which is why it is difficult to learn other types," Ryouta answered.

" Theoretically speaking. Normal shinobis are only granted a limited amount of chakra nodes to use their elements. So, what exactly is to say we can't have all of it?" Maya asked. " If we could genetically alter our chakra nodes, people accessing more than one element won't be that far-fetched."

" So that's why I seem to be able to use all the elements, because you experimented on me," Ryouta replied.

" That's correct. You were a former lab rat of mine," Maya replied.

" That somehow explains a lot," Ryouta replied. " Still, if I have access to all the elements, why is my affinity to fire stronger than the rest?"

" Because you just are. Your innate element is fire, so adding all elements again would double your fire element potential. Plus the fact that you have an abnormal amount of chakra does help…and in case you are wondering, yes, I altered your body to sustain that much amount of chakra. No normal shinobi with the average amount of chakra can sustain your signature technique of your level. It's almost like a…"

" …Bloodline limit," Ryouta replied, completing Maya's own sentence.

" Exactly…" Maya replied, almost purring.

" So, what am I to you, besides being a lab rat?" Ryouta asked.

" Nothing more. What parts of the word lab rat don't you understand?" Maya asked.

Ryoute merely chuckled. " Now, I don't think that you have given me the entire picture at this point, but really, I can give a guess, and I think it is mostly accurate on most accounts. No need to confirm or deny it, I'll just merely state what I want to say," Ryouta replied. " Your intent the last time we met was to catch me. Perhaps at first it was the organisation's goal to kidnap genins, but during our second encounter, you were specifically out for me. Your unit placement was odd, considering, almost as if you were trying to separate me from the group. As to guess the reason why, the reason is simple: I'm your son."

" Deny as much as you want, but we share the same eye shape and facial features, mostly the chin. Almost highly unlikely that I am not related to you, and it would give more of a reason for you to want to take me back. Perhaps you figured it was more convenient having a personal test subject, and what better to get your own son to test it on. You don't look like the marriage type, so you probably hooked up with some lucky, or unlucky, chump just so he could impregnate you and have me," Ryouta replied.

" Arguably, the fighting caught up, and the Sound village would be no more as our forces took it apart bit by bit. No doubt carrying a child would be dangerous, and you possibly wanted to escape the place. It would be hard to move with a baby in tow, so you left me, obviously knowing that the Leaf-nins won't murder a baby outright unless they know he was part of some vile experiment of Orochimaru. Thankfully, he lived, and we meet again under problematic circumstances," Ryouta replied. " There is one thing that does puzzle me about the whole affair."

" Which is?" Maya asked.

" My obsession with looking at the midnight sky," Ryouta replied.

" It's a chakra seal. I accelerated your brain function, making a special mental jutsu that made you take in a deep picture of what you saw then, which was the night sky, so to forge this picture into your memory," Maya replied.

" Why?" Ryouta asked.

" So I'll be able to find you. A shinobi with such a quirk can be easily identified," Maya replied. " It is removable, and it was my intention when we first met. Shall I remove it?"

" There is no need for that," Ryouta replied. " This quirk has become part of me already, and it defines me as what I am."

" Is that so? So, what now?" Maya asked.

" Nothing, I've decide we shall work together. We could certainly use the firepower," Ryouta replied.

" You trust me now?" Maya asked.

" Well, considering that if you are my mom, I suspect the reason why you are actually siding with me is because of your maternal instincts. Well, this is some sort of far-fetched theory for some bitch who abandoned me years ago, but maybe you had your reasons. Also, 4 years ago during the incident with Lady Kagura, we seemed to have faced less opposition than I would have expected, and someone rescued Tayu. I somehow suspected that to be you," Ryouta replied.

" …You are one weird kid," Maya noted. " And you are assuming a lot."

" Well, I've never met my parents before, so even if you are some sort of criminal, I think I can somehow live with that," Ryouta replied, walking off. " You coming, mom?"


	42. Chapter 41: Attack

**Chapter 41: Attack**

" I am kinda against this," Sora replied.

" Why? Find it hard to work with someone who kicked your ass previously?" Akane snickered.

" If anything, it's working with you. Step out of line, I'll kill you in an instant," Sora replied, growling loudly.

" If I recall correctly, wasn't I the one who did the ass-kicking the last time?" Akane laughed.

" That's enough. Makoto, Takeshi and I have decided that we will accept Maya's help, and along with her two…companions, since we can use all the help we can get. There is absolutely no guarantee for their intentions, except my intuition for their approval. If you wish to argue against that, I am all ears," Ryouta replied firmly. Nobody said a word. " Does this mean I actually get everyone's approval?"

" …One condition," Sora replied.

" What is it?" Ryouta asked.

" …Can I kill Akane when we are done?"

ooo

" Okay, this is the basic layout of the entire place," Takeshi replied, placing a map on the floor, and everyone gathered around to look at it. Makoto placed a finger on the map to trace the ink so that he can 'see' what was on it. " The black crosses are where the shinobi patrols are, around 2-3 of them per area. This also includes the Void Hunters, but they are mostly located at the harbor, but be warned that they are very competent and dangerous, so be careful with them."

" Now, the basic premise of this place is an escape route. Naoto is not a shinobi, thus she will need other means of transport to cross the ocean. She will need to take a ship, or have a shinobi carry her across. Now, this ocean is too large for a shinobi to carry her all the way, so even if she uses that method to escape, we can catch her if we give chase. Thus, if we dismantle her main mode of transport, the ships, she will be stuck here. Unless they have a shinobi that specializes in moving underwater, we can limit her movement if we destroy the ships, as long as we close in around her," Maya explained.

" How do we do that? It's kinda far from here to the harbor, unless we can bombard it from afar," Suzumi replied.

" Mayuri, do you think you can manage to damage the ships from here, all at one go without alerting them?" Ryouta asked.

" I guess so," Mayuri replied.

" We can't take a guess. We need a confirmation. Can you do it?" Takeshi asked.

" …There might be a 5-7 second time delay. Can we afford that?" Mayuri asked.

" Yes, should give us some leeway," Takeshi replied.

" So, how should we split up our groups?" Hibiki asked.

" We don't. We will surround the area, and once Mayuri has destroyed the ships, it will be the signal to move in. Once we pave our way through, we can slowly regroup when we move in," Takeshi replied. " This is to ensure that we surround the are like a net, as moving in groups might leave gaps for Naoto to slip through. If we spread out and if she does try to escape, we are more likely to locate her."

" It does put some risk, since we will be separating into several groups," Sougo replied.

" Perfect…" Sora purred.

" …Just the way I like it," Akane finished her sentence.

ooo

" Looks like you still have something to say," Ryouta replied, just as the rest of them were moving into position.

" Of course I have. I have yet to figure out why you agreed to accept Maya's help. I don't know if you have been keeping up with the news lately, but she's a fairly dangerous person. Why do you trust her so much?" Sora demanded.

" …Because she seems to be acting in good faith," Ryouta answered.

" …That's it?" Sora demanded.

" Look, what do you want? A testimonial and an inquiry panel, or perhaps a confirmation from our personal interrogation squad? Take her baby hostage?" Ryouta snapped back. " She's either lying, or she is not, and I am inclined to think she is not. She is doing this for her own benefit, I can say as much, but I could care less about it."

" Tch, and what are we going to do to her after we are done with this?" Sora demanded.

" …Do what?"

" Ryouta, she's a dangerous missing-nin! Were you actually planning on letting her waltz out of here when we are done…no, wait, that was your plan, isn't it, to let her leave?" Sora replied. " Are you on drugs? Have you been drinking?"

" No…" Ryouta replied, sounding tired.

" Is there something you are not telling me?" Sora asked.

" Yes, there is."

" May I know what it is?"

" No, you may not. Why don't you take out your anger by beating the shit out of our enemies, huh?" Ryouta suggested, patting Sora's shoulders not before walking off to his position.

" Don't change the God-damned subject!" Sora shouted after him, but Ryouta tried to ignore her protests. " Shit, nobody listens to me!"

" I wonder why?" Hibiki mused quietly as he passed her, and she attempted to place a well-aimed kick to his rear end but failed.

ooo

Mayuri took a deep breath as she surveyed the entire area. The rest of them had moved off to their respective areas and were now waiting for the signal, which she was to give by destroying the boats at the harbour. From the distance where she was, it was some distance between herself and the large body of water from the sea, and transmitting a jutsu that far was slightly troublesome.

Placing her hand on the ground, she sent out a small chakra pulse through the ground, and soon enough, she could feel the sea beyond her. She felt herself connect with the water from the distance. Thus, transmission was possible, the problem was whether she can perform it fast enough.

Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on her targets. She made a few hand seals, not before placing her hands gently, channeling the chakra out from her hands and into the ground, transmitting it through the ground and sending it to the sea. While not all the time common, some shinobis who specialise in water also utilise earth jutsus to help in their preparation for their water jutsus, drawing substance from below the ground or transmitting it over a large area. Makoto managed to give her some pointers on using it, despite usually never using earth based ninjutsu.

" Water Release: Cascading Water Dragon Explosion Technique!" Mayuri exclaimed, not before sending an intense pulse of chakra into the ground.

All of a sudden, at the distance, large columns of water started to shoot out from the sea, all surrounding the ships, piercing through the sides and the hulls and breaking the ships apart, as if the water columns were ravenous beasts that was ripping it's prey apart. The water columns shot in and out, consuming the ships and destroying them also so effortlessly that they looked like they broke apart, shattering into a thousand splinters.

" A damn good job if I can say so myself," Mayuri spoke to herself as she spotted the figures of her companions rushing towards the town the moment she destroyed the boats.

ooo

The moment he saw the ships being torn apart by Mayuri's jutsu, Hiroshi tore across the land, speeding his way towards the town. There was some level of commotion and confusion, and as he neared the town he could see people running about, obviously in a slight panic. He primed his weapons, ready for a counter-attack, but to his slight surprise, nobody seemed to be baring his way. He could already hear the sounds of combat at a distance, but nobody was around his area to impede his progress.

Hiroshi felt like he was walking into a trap. He was expecting a guard or two to greet him at the very least, but no one seemed to be around. Looking around, he could not spot anything, or anyone in the vicinity. Was this because he was just lucky, or was this some crafty trap? His gut feeling told him this was a trap, and he was about to walk, or have already possibly walked into one.

The question was whether he wanted to continue or not.

Deciding to throw caution into the wind, Hiroshi rushed forward, whizzing through the houses and buildings, down along the roads and corners. Still, no one bared his way, so he pushed on.

" You seem pretty confident, considering you know you are walking into a trap," a voice replied.

Hiroshi looked up to see a mass of hair drop down on him. Changing his angle of movement, he dove to the right, just before the female who addressed him landed on him. Within less than a second, he procured his puppet, Hebi, which now curled around him, as if it was forming some sort of physical barrier between him and his enemy.

" Not much of an ambush considering you lost your advantage by announcing your presence and allowing me to escape unharmed," Hiroshi noted. The female shinobi merely glared at him contemptuously, licking her lips as he tried to appraise her. The first thing he noted about her was the colour of her eyes, which were similar to Suzumi and Yuuko. " You must be one of Suzumi's cousins, aren't you?"

" Oh, I wonder what gave that away?" the kunoichi replied playfully.

Hiroshi flicked his fingers, and his Hebi broke into tens of pieces, all of them flying towards his target. The kunoichi was about to brace herself into dodging his contraptions, not before something wrapped around her body, binding it in a vice-like grip. A long, pink and very sticky and gooey substance was wrapped around her entire body, and glancing backwards, notice a large frog puppet with its tongue wrapped around her body with his mouth opened wide to swallow her whole.

There was a sharp snap, but instead of swallowing it's target whole, the frog puppet broke into a hundred pieces, and Hiroshi notice the arrival of two other people just in time for him to leap backwards to avoid getting hit, as several wind blades flew in his direction. Moving his fingers quickly, he withdrew one of Hebi's compartments, which opened up in front of him, the wind blades hitting it and absorbing the blow, leaving not even a scratch on the compartment.

" Three on one, eh? Hardly seems fair, is it?" Hiroshi noted.

" Well, not that we care, but you might be an interesting target," the kunoichi replied.

All of them shared the same eye colour, and Hiroshi figured their eyes must be a fairly dominant genetic trait shared by the family. Akiha, Minami and Kouga. All of them were involved in screwing around with Suzumi's brain, and although the logical part of his brain was telling him facing three highly dangerous shinobis at the same time was foolish and dangerous, a larger part of him was raging with anger and wanting to do nothing less than tear them apart. He was about to make his move, but a figure approached him all of a sudden, and he jerked violently, only to calm down a second later when he saw Suzumi next to him, or more specifically, Aya, since her eyes were now glowing red.

" Hahaha, wow, this is good, this is great, this is God-damned fantastic! Excellent, hooray, jubilation, wee...one, big, screwy family reunion," Aya exclaimed, sounding crazy as usual. " Hello, boys and girls, we've never met, but I believe all of us are quite acquainted with one another. After all, I am your handiwork."

" Well, I must say, Yuuko managed to split her personality correctly," Kouga replied.

" You know, I should be thankful for the fact that I exist because of you asshole, but really now, I think I'm going to kill all three of you, right here, right now," Aya replied, licking her lips, not before suddenly having a blank look on her face. " ...What? You can't be serious...now?"

Hiroshi wasn't sure what she was talking about, but he somehow suspected that Suzumi was somehow talking to Aya mentally.

" Okay, but try to keep it short, I need to kill them soon," Aya replied, not before turning to the rest of her relatives. " Someone wants to speak to you." With that, Aya closed her eyes, almost as if she was trying to stay deep in thought, only to open her eyes a while later, now back to it's normal blue colour. However, it didn't wear the usual expression Suzumi used to wear, and her face was now etched with a frown, and dangerously piercing eyes.

" Hello, cousins, I'm Nagato Suzumi. We need to talk," Suzumi growled dangerous.


	43. Chapter 42: Elite

**Chapter 42: Elite**

" Are you trying to annoy me! ?" Sora howled.

" What? What gave you such a notion?" Akane asked in a good-natured manner.

" Get the fuck away from me! Stay at least a good 200 meters away where I can't see any sign of you, and keep it that way," Sora snapped angrily at her.

" Logically speaking, moving along this area would be..."

" Excuses!" Sora exclaimed loudly.

" I see...1,2,3...5 juicy targets...are we game?" Akane asked, laughing slightly as she spotted a few shinobis appearing along some of the town building's rooftops. Sora didn't answer, but merely aggressively threw herself into the fray. " I take that as a yes..."

Sora dodged the first blast of water that flew in her direction, and she punched the second, the force of the impact insignificant to her as the force of the water blast merely splashing on her fists as if someone threw water at her fists. Once it was over, she shot a second jab, the shockwave that emitted from her fists flew forward like a missile, smashing into her targets face. She did not know the extent of the damage, but the resounding crack she heard meant she at least snapped a couple of bones in her target's face.

Seeing Sora's quick response, Akane was not about to let her take the lead. She rushed forward, not before gleefully jumping upwards towards the rooftops where the shinobis were. She appeared promptly in front of them, but just before any of them could react, she crushed two vials in her hands, which released a massive cloud of smoke, and the moment it engulfed them, they dropped to the ground in an instant.

" That's cheating!" Sora shouted at her from below.

" All's fair in love and war," Akane replied. " 4 to 1. I win."

" Screw you, you little bitch!" Sora exclaimed, trying to ignore her and continue along her way. " Get the hell away from me!"

Her exclamation was proceeded by the building next to her being torn to shreds. Sora moved out of the way, only to find several large spikes fly in her direction. She quickly retreated by backing up, but the spikes continued to home in towards her. She then promptly launched herself upwards, flying up almost a 100 feet, not before her hands formed a few hand seals.

" Sound Release: Blood Howl!"

A massive blast of sonic energy was sent towards where the spikes were emerging from the building that was now breaking apart, the force of the attack flattening the structure almost instantly, knocking the spikes flat, but that proved useless as another set of spikes burst out from the building behind her.

" What?" she exclaimed.

Just before the spikes made contact, something knocked into her, and when she regained her composure, she found herself hoisted on Sougo's shoulders, evident that he had caught her mid-air and brought her back onto the ground. " Hello, ladies, having a little trouble?" Sougo asked.

" Put me down, you little brat," Sora exclaimed as she started to trash and kick him, mostly hitting him in the face.

" Ow, damn girl, can't you be happy that I saved your ass?" Sougo exclaimed, tossing her aside quickly instead of putting her down properly. " What's up with this? Someone who can utilise spikes?"

" I suspect this is our resident shape-shifter, Heihachi," Akane replied. " Oops, here we go!"

A massive blade-like feature shot out from beneath where Akane stood, practically cleaving the building she was standing on in half, the massive sword at least 5 feet wide and 100 feet long. Akane quickly hopped off towards the next building, only to feel it crumble beneath her feet as the massive blade smashed into it with impunity. She hopped away, flinging a vial which smashed against the blade, only to smoke slightly.

" Fairly acid resistant," Akane replied, joining up where Sougo and Sora stood. " This guy spells trouble."

" Where is Hiroshi when we need him? He managed to stab the shit out of him before," Sora responded.

" There is no need for him. I can handle him myself," Sougo replied confidently.

" You sure? You weren't so hot the last time," Sora scoffed.

" Don't worry about me," Sougo replied, crackling his fingers. " It's no fun if it's no fair."

Sora and Akane looked at each other, and Akane merely shrugged her shoulders in indifference. " Meh, we can leave him to handle himself. I prefer enemies who I can confront directly anyway. This guy won't be any fun for me to fight. Don't you agree?" Akane asked.

" Piss off, bitch!" Sora snapped at her, not before deciding to leave the area and let Sougo handle the enemy by himself. Akane followed suit, surprisingly moving in the opposite direction from where Sora headed.

" Alright, sneaky boy, let's have some fun," Sougo replied, smirking slightly.

Large metal spikes burst out from all over the place, piercing through ground and building like they were made of paper. Sougo leaped up to avoid being impaled, but the spikes stretched even further, willing themselves to attempt to hit him. There was a sharp, bright spark, and Sougo appeared a hundred meters away from the spikes, hanging precariously in mid-air.

" Hmph, take this!" Sougo exclaimed, as his entire body started to bristle with the sharp, electric blue colour of electricity. Tens of sparks shot out from his body, not before blasting themselves to the ground in general where the spikes were coming out from. The same amount of spikes emerged from the ground to meet the blast, and Sougo found his lightning bolts neutralised as they dissipated before hitting the ground, almost as if they were absorbed. Sougo figured that the metal spikes were able to conduct electricity, diffusing their capabilities. This would be slightly problematic, since Heihachi was now hidden underground, and his shapeshifting capabilities allowed him to conduct Sougo's electricity elsewhere.

Sougo quickly observed Heihachi's movements. For whatever reason, Heihachi seemed to be interested in staying underground. Sougo wondered if this somehow allowed him to diffuse his electricity better, but then again he recalled that Heihachi was already underground when he engaged Sora and Akane. So, he was already beneath them before the fight started, and Sougo suspected that it was done for a reason.

" Alright then, let's see if I can dig him out," Sougo replied, cracking his knuckles. " Lighting Release: Piercing Bolt Fang!"

Massive arcs of electricity shot out from Sougo's body, not before slamming onto the ground, smashing through rock and stone like jelly. Sougo forced the electricity to surge forward, digging up through rock and stone, not before hitting something and all of a sudden dissipating. Sougo moved away as more spikes shot up towards him, barely nicking him as he dodged their attacks, carefully spotting them as they burst out from the ground and headed towards him. Sougo fired another bolt of electricity to the ground, which snaked towards the area where he felt that Heihachi was hiding, only to have it defused again.

" Interesting, he's covered himself in a circular area about a radius of 100 meters, which means I cannot pierce him directly with my attacks this way," Sougo mused. " You think a simple thing like this is going to stop me?"

Sougo slammed his fists together, and all of a sudden, his entire body was shrouded in a massively large charge of electricity, almost as if he was wrapped in a lighting blue cloud of sorts. The gigantic build-up of lightning energy around him was so high that the heat generated was charring the pavement he was standing on in a crisp, black colour.

" Lightning Release: Overcharge Power Blast!"

Four lightning bolts burst out from Sougo's body, not before slamming into the ground in a wide area to form a cross of sorts. Waving his hands, Sougo directed the blast to circle around the perimeter which Heihachi had set up, digging up the earth on the exterior of the perimeter. Sougo carved through the earth, not before forcing out the area in which Heihachi was entrenched in, sending the large mould of earth flying upwards, high into the sky.

" I got you now!" Sougo exclaimed in excitement, not before blasting tens of bolts of lighting blasts towards the large mold of earth in which he had fired out from. No spikes emerged to counter his attacks, and Sougo suspected that he was negating his lightning strikes using the ground as buffer, but now that he was out, his skill was useless.

The lighting bolts ripped the piece of earth apart, the massive powerful bolts bursting and piercing through the mold of earth. The mold of earth was rended to bits, and Sougo continued to send out bolts of electricity towards it, each strike breaking the pieces of earth into smaller and smaller bits, until there was nothing left.

" Huh? Where is he?" Sougo mused.

A sharp tearing sound could be heard, and Sougo spotted a spike piercing out from the middle of his chest. Heihachi had set up a feint, sneaking up behind him while he was busy trying to break through a place where he was not, and struck Sougo from behind.

" Hmph, you have been arrogant with your abilities, thinking you are far superior than others," Heihachi replied.

However, Sougo merely smirked at him, and to Heihachi's horror, Sougo's body started to disintegrate into electricity, not before being conducted through the spike that Heihachi shot out from his hand. The current shot through him, paralyzing him on the spot.

" A ...lightning clone?" Heihachi gasped.

" I AM arrogant, because I am superior," Sougo replied, reappearing in a flash right behind Heihachi, who was rooted to the spot, his entire body brimming with electricty. " Think you can take a piss at the Lightning Country's elite and get away with it? I don't think so."

With that, Sougo charged up the chakra in his hands, and unleashed a lightning storm that exploded through the entire side of the town, ripping the buildings in it's way apart, as if he didn't want to leave anything in its wake. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Heihachi's silhouette move out of the way, the lightning blast barely missing him, although he seemed to be wincing in pain despite having successfully avoided the attack.

" I see. It's clear now. He was hiding underground to avoid direct attacks, since he seems to be sporting some form of injury. How convenient," Sougo replied, smirking. " I'll not miss this time!"

Slamming his fists together once more, Sougo threw a punch towards Heihachi's direction. A electric blue column of pure energy shot out from his hands, and Heihachi had a look of horror on his face as the condensed beam pierced through his body, throwing his body backwards like a ragged doll. However, something felt off about it, and Sougo realised a second later that two 20 feet long blades broke up from the surface below him, as if they were about to snap him in half like a pair of scissors.

Sougo hopped backwards quickly just as the blades were about to hit him, but as they connected with each other, instead of slamming loudly into one another, they merely melded into one another, like some form of liquid, not before solidifying into another larger blade, but this time facing Sougo and falling towards his direction.

" Lightning Release Secret Technique: Overcharge Lightning Barrier!"

Sougo quickly formed the same barrier he used against Sora, his entire body now shrouded in a all-powerful coat of lightning energy, the intense energy throwing bolts of lightning everywhere. The blade slammed down on Sougo, but the compact and intense lightning shield stopped its drop. Sougo was about to move towards the side when ten blades shot out towards him in all directions, blocking his advance. The pressure of the blades pressing against him was really intense, so much that he could not move away. If his barrier was to weaken, he would be immediately crushed and sliced by the sheer weight of the attack.

" Weak! Utterly weak! GGRRAAAHHH!" Sougo screamed, increasing the intensity of his electricity by almost ten fold. The increase in energy was not at such a critical peak, Heihachi's blades were melting on the spot, breaking apart within seconds. " Is that all you got?"

Sougo managed to figure out how Heihachi's ability worked. He doesn't exactly shapeshift himself, but he takes over materials from around him which he can shape to his will. It would probably explain why he managed to escape his attack which pierced his body, since it was probably a fake, make from the same materials he used to alter things. However, there has to be a core, his main body. Once that was taken out, and Sougo had just proven that unless he used a clone as a decoy, he could easily pierce through whatever defenses Heihachi had.

Placing his hands on the ground, he sent out an electric pulse, and within less than a second, he could sense where Heihachi was from his ability, the outflow of his chakra was possible to detect through Sougo's techniques. The moment Sougo located him, he formed a few hand seals. A massive dome swallowed the entire area, like a force-field that was powered through electricity, the arching blue bolts of energy cracking menacingly all over the area. Bolts started to focus on specific points, aiming towards the middle area of the dome.

" Heh, let's see you avoid this! Lightning Release Secret Technique: Lightning Storm Disintegrating Blast!"

Tens of powerfully charged bolts of electricity started to rain down on the area, and Sora and Akane noted the incredibly bright flash that erupted behind them, the intense light almost blinding them.

ooo

" Talk? Hah, what is there to talk about?" Akiha scoffed at Suzumi.

" Oh, there is plenty to talk about. I wonder where should I start. Yuuko had told me for the most part, most of what you all are planning. You were using me as a guinea pig to utilise our latent potential, our bloodline ability my father tried to seal away. Guess Hibiki was right on his mark on the higher echelons being involved in all this," Suzumi spoke. " Why? Is betraying our village worth it?"

" We were exiled from the village before we were born. I don't think loyalty was ever part of the equation," Minami replied.

" Vengence then? Fine then, too bad I am fairly vengeful myself. You are going to pay for all the shit you have been putting my friends and I into. Still, I'm puzzled at why if you wanted to experiment on unlocking our latent powers, why bother using me? Aren't you afraid that, assuming it's as powerful as you say it is, if I manage to use it, I would be far more powerful than any of you can handle?" Suzumi asked.

" True, but this technique was meant to break a person's mind. You won't be the same, and we wanted to make sure that it would work before we did it to ourselves," Minami replied.

" But, your operation failed that night. Halfway while altering my mind, you were interrupted by Hibiki and Makoto, and due to that, were unable to kidnap me and study me at your leisure. You sure took a lot of time and effort to try to bring me in. This ability must be quite valuable, whatever it is," Suzumi replied.

" ...Still, while the outline is working, since giving you a split personality seems to make you more aggressive, this doesn't seem to unlock anything significant," Kouga replied. " What a disappointment, and such a waste of time. We might have been chasing after nothing at all."

" ...Actually, Aya and I have figured out how to unlock our abilities," Suzumi answered.

" What?" All of them exclaimed, even Hiroshi, who had been merely spectating the exchange.

Suzumi closed her eyes and slapped her palms together, as if she was trying to focus on something. The three Nagatos moved instantly, throwing their attacks and jutsus at once, which was met with resistance as Hiroshi tossed out a powerful barrier which he shot out from his puppet arm, the entire shield managing to block them temporarily. Within the spam of that second, Suzumi was done, and she slowly dropped her hands and opened her eyes.

" ...Huh...?" Hiroshi mused.

The main difference was now that Suzumi had one glowing eye on her left, the type when the Aya personality took over, but other than that, she still looked the same. Hiroshi was expecting something slightly more extraordinary, but he wasn't sure how one glowing eye would help.

" Well, this is really something! Fucking awesome!" Aya exclaimed, cracking her left hand

" Not to bad, if I can say so myself," Suzumi replied, stretching her head.

For a moment, Hiroshi was stunned at the revelation, but something dawned on him. Suzumi was now using two personalities, her's and Aya's, both at once. Both of them were controlling the body at the same time, which meant it was the combination of both of their abilities together, with was what the original Suzumi had.

" A personality fusion?" Akiha asked.

" Not fusion, but more like mutualism," Aya replied.

" Indeed, and yet, our controls are separate," Suzumi replied.

" ...Pure genjutsu..." Hiroshi gasped.

" What did he say?" Kouga asked.

Pure genjutsu was a theory on the capabilities of genjutsu being an ultimate jutsu. Humans have five basic senses: touch, sight, hearing, taste and smell. Assuming one could completely render them useless using genjutsu, a shinobi of any level can be defeated if his opponent can cast a genjutsu that covers all 5 senses. While in a sense this might be able to become the ultimate technique, disregarding the fact that casting 5 different types, or even learning them, was hard enough, most shinobis were limited to disabling up to 3 senses only.

" Pure genjutsu, the finest and final form of genjutsu. Genjutsu is a skill of tricking the 5 senses, but unless a shinobi can trick all 5 senses, there is still a minute chance for a person to break through it. A lone shinobi at he very best can trick 3 senses at most, but with the dual personality..." Hiroshi gasped.

" ...I can easily cast a genjutsu to cover 6 senses, way beyond the threshold level," Suzumi replied.

" Or we can double whatever genjutsu we are casting, doubling the effectiveness either way," Aya laughed. " Hahaha, you losers don't stand a chance,"

" Go, leave them to us," Suzumi replied.

" Huh?"

" The enemy still out-number us, and the rest of the Void Hunters are still around. I can easily handle these three, and I have my own personal reasons. Go, Hiroshi, this is not your fight. I will let them taste the wrath of my bloodline limit," Suzumi replied.

" Yeah, we don't need you here. We can easily handle this trash. You'd probably in the way," Aya chided him.

" ...You'll be fine?" Hiroshi asked.

" Who the hell do you think we are?" Suzumi and Aya replied at the same time.

Hiroshi wasn't sure about this, but he couldn't help but smirk. " Alright, I'll leave them to you, if you insist," Hiroshi replied. The moment he left the area, he could feel them engage each other, the burst of chakra flying past from behind him.

_Writer's note: God, it's been a while since I updated this story. I apologise for the delay, been busy with life. _


	44. Chapter 43: Clash of Illusions and Wills

**Chapter 43: Clash of Illusions and Wills**

Hibiki halted his advance. Something was strangely wrong with his surroundings. Nothing was out of the ordinary, which was probably why he felt slightly uneasy. Looking down the road he was previously taking, he didn't notice anything. All of a sudden, he felt alone in the middle of the town. He merely gave a chuckle, not before continuing to walk forward slowly.

" May as well get out now, I know you already cast a genjutsu around the area. It's not going to work effectively now," Hibiki replied arrogantly. Nobody replied, and nothing changed. " Oi, bitch, you listening to me?"

The moment he finished his sentence, Hibiki felt a presense behind him. Spinning around, he spotted a masked kunoichi with short black hair appear right behind him, brandishing a katana in her hand, pulled back to prepare for a swing. Just in the nick of time, he avoided the attack, the kunoichi flying past him as he side-stepped out of the way. However, he felt a slight sting, and he noticed that she somehow managed to nick his shoulder slightly, carving a slight scratch which was fortunately very shallow and not serious. The kunoichi was preparing for another attack, but Hibiki immediately retreated several meters, keeping his distance.

" Your survival instincts live up to your name. That was meant to be a killing stroke, and to escape with such little damage is fortunate for you," Kagerou Sakuya replied, raising her katana. " Let's see if you can repeat your capabilities."

Hibiki merely frowned. Whether she was telling the truth or lying about the killing strike, it was irrelevant. The main question was that she managed to hurt him slightly, even though he saw that he clearly avoided the blow. Obviously, some genjutsu was at work here.

Hibiki figured he wasn't under the effects of genjutsu. His surroundings feel altered but he himself didn't feel out of place, so the trick of the attack had to come from Sakuya. Trying to recall the attack, he felt as if the sword did scratch him, so the attack came directly from Sakuya's katana, although there isn't a trace of blood on her blade to confirm this. Comparing the stroke of the attack on his shoulder to the strike she pulled which he observed earlier, they were executed at the same level. So, Sakuya threw a strike which Hibiki saw he avoided, but didn't. Her katana was longer than what he thought it was, or Sakuya was using some light refraction technique to mess with his sight.

" You are wrong on both accounts," Sakuya replied, not before shooting forward. Hibiki was slightly taken aback at her reply, not before his senses kicked into high gear as he noticed her approaching. He drew out Tsuki, preparing to clash weapons with Sakuya, but just as she was about to hit, Hibiki withdrew quickly. The ring of metal striking each other indicated that she struck his spear which he placed in front of him to parry the strike.

_She is somehow extending her katana's reach, which would explain why she can hit me even though I managed to block it or avoid it by a short distance...although, how in the world is she lengthening her reach?_ Hibiki thought to himself. If they were to fight head on, Hibiki was confident he could easily beat her with an advantage in range with his spears, but now Sakuya has a jutsu of her own which was giving her the range to rival Hibiki.

Hibiki continued to back up, wanting to keep the distance. The illusion was still focused on Sakuya's blade, so as long as he kept his distance, he won't be in any danger of the blade reaching him. Sakuya saw his movements, and in an instant, started to rush towards his position. Hibiki sent a burst of chakra to his feet, and all of a sudden Sakuya spotted Hibiki up in the air, almost more than a hundred meters high.

Sakuya quickly prepared some hand seals, and then proceeded to launch her hand upwards. Hibiki could clearly see the area below him distorting, with Sakuya having shoot out wind blades, which he recognised from Makoto using them frequently. Pulling out Hime from his back, he flung it towards the nearest building, while attaching it to a light, thin metal string. The moment Hime smashed through the roof of his targeted building, Hibiki sent his chakra signature, and the metal string contracted instantly to pull him away from danger.

The moment he landed on the roof, he could see Sakuya already rushing to his position. Yanking Hime free from the rooftop, Hibiki took careful aim, not before throwing Hime with all his might towards Sakuya. The javelin shot at tremendous speeds towards her, the tip spinning like a drill that was ready to pierce her. However, at the precise moment just before it was about to strike her, Sakuya seemed to dissipate, almost appearing like a double-image, allowing the javelin to phase through her and pass her while leaving her completely unharmed.

" Aww, nuts," Hibiki replied as Sakuya closed the distance between them, her blade glistening under the rays of the sun. Just as she was about to strike him, she noticed that the hand which he threw Hime was still grasping on a metal wire, and she suddenly realised that she could hear a light whirling sound right behind her. Quickly glancing behind, she spotted Hime flying back towards her in the opposite direction, still spinning and speeding towards her with the same velocity.

Sakuya made a quick swipe backwards, the clash of their weapons making a tremendous racket. Hime still didn't stop its advance back towards her, but Sakuya managed to divert the trajectory of the javelin towards the side, avoiding it from striking her. Hibiki quickly reacted by stabbing Tsuki towards her direction, but not before her body dissolved in the double image again, the spear passing through thin air as her body moved towards the side before rematerializing again. Raising her sword, she brought her katana crashing down on him, just as he brought his spear back on par to block the strike.

His shoulder stung all of a sudden, and to his surprise, he saw that a cut had materialised out of nowhere on his right shoulder, even though he had once again actively blocked her attack. Sakuya quickly followed up with a succession of quick strikes, her katana moving swiftly, striking Hibiki in all directions. Hibiki quickly retreated, not before suffering several cuts to his body, most of them fairly superficial, but numerous nevertheless.

" Damn it, you little bitch. That hurts," Hibiki snapped angrily.

Sakuya merely ignored his taunts, and merely raised her katana towards her head level, not before throwing a powerful thrust in his direction. Hibiki moved out of the way, but Sakuya proceeded by throwing a powerful slash towards his direction, and a cut appeared on his upper left arm.

_Damn it, how is she doing that? It's like she's extending her blade…_Hibiki though while wincing in pain. His entire body was now stinging since he was suffering from numerous cuts. He tried to calm down to think of a solution. Sakuya was somehow extending her katana's reach so that it would reach him even if he managed to block it, or was some distance away. Still, he could not figure out how it was still phasing through solid objects.

_Wait just a damn minute…why am I assuming she's 'merely' extending her blade?_ Hibiki thought to himself, realising he was missing an important clue.

Tossing his weapons aside, Hibiki charged at Sakuya with his bare fists. Sensing something amiss, Sakuya retreated instead, moving several meters backwards in a flash. Hibiki continued to move forward, but Sakuya continued to retreat, not sure why Hibiki had decided to meet her head on without his weapons.

" Oi, what's this? Scared of me now?" Hibiki taunted her. " If I get serious, I'll catch you anyway!"

Hibiki quickly performed some hand seals, and all of a sudden, a powerful shroud of wind coated Hibiki's body, the howling of the powerful storm that engulfing was almost deafening to the ears. Sakuya recognised it as Hibiki's signature technique, his Windwalker technique. However, Sakuya was a little cautious as to why he was using it now, when he wasn't armed, merely to catch up to her.

In a flash, there was a burst of a powerful gust of wind, and Hibiki launched himself with surprising speed, moving way faster than Sakuya expected. She instinctively slashed her katana in his direction, only for the blade to be caught by Hibiki using his hands. Hibiki winced in pain as the blade cut through his hands, and even with a barrier of wind around his hands, the katana still managed to cut into his hands deeply. However, even as he stopped the blade, a slash mark appeared on his shoulder, this time fairly deep since Hibiki made no effort to block or avoid the hit. Despite being injured, Hibiki was grinning at Sakuya, as if he had just hit the jackpot.

" Hahaha, gotcha now! I know how your tricky little sword technique works!" Hibiki replied, not before reaching forward to grab her face. Sakuya dissolved into a double image again as Hibiki gasped at thin air, and she moved around behind him as she released her grip on her katana, drawing out another out of nowhere. " Well, haven't figured out how you do that…"

Sakuya threw a powerful strike towards Hibiki, who just casually hopped backwards. However, this time, Hibiki didn't suffer any extra cuts like he did previously. Sakuya looked surprised, but Hibiki was merely grinning at her.

Hibiki figured out the trick behind her attack. The trick wasn't that she was extending her katana's reach, more like she was following up. Sakuya was using a wind ninjutsu that threw out a short length wind blade each time she struck him, which gave her an added reach, not to mention being able to phase through defences. So even if Hibiki had blocked or dodged by a fraction of an inch, the katana would throw out the wind blade which would make contact with Hibiki's body. She was basically executing a wind blade strike at point blank range, usually unheard of especially executing it based off a weapon. This was usually unthinkable, since this method lacks attack power due to the short range in which the wind blade travels, but this attack banks on the fact that most shinobis will instinctively assume that she wouldn't do so, and since the reach was so short, it was usually invisible to the naked eye.

Thus, his Windwalker technique, which shrouded his body in a barrier of wind chakra, naturally absorbs wind based ninjutsu to a certain degree, negating Sakuya's katana wind blades. Still, from the damage on his hands, despite being able to absorb her wind chakra, she still had sufficient technique to cut him through his barrier.

Raising his hands, Sakuya suddenly felt something pass by her from behind, seeing his two weapons magically float back to his grasp. Pulling his arm back, he took aim and prepared to throw Hime towards Sakuya's direction.

" Windwalker Secret Technique: Shallow Hunting!"

Hibiki threw Hime with all his might, and the javelin shot towards Sakuya like a speeding bullet. In less than a split second, it had crossed half the distance separating Sakuya and Hibiki. Sakuya barely had time to dodge the attack, twisting her body aside to avoid the javelin from piercing her side, not confident she can divert it to another direction like she did previously since this time, the throw had a lot of power in it. However, just as the javelin shot past her left side, she caught the sight of Hibiki a couple of feet in front of her, his spear in hand, brimming with wind energy, his hand drawn backwards in order to attack her.

_What the hell? He travelled faster than him throwing his weapon at supersonic speeds? This doesn't seem possible!_ Sakuya though to herself.

Hibiki quickly threw a trust at her head. Sakuya barely avoided as the spear nicked her cheek, merely grazing her. Sakuya suddenly caught sight of his hands, and she suddenly spotted Tsuki levitating a few centimeters away from the palm of his hands. It dawned on her that since she had already wounded his hands badly, it was not possible for him to use his weapons, especially when he needed to have a good grip to throw or thrust them. He was using his wind ability to hold them by levitating and launching them.

It would also explain why he could move faster than him launching his javelin. Since Hibiki could fire his weapons without carrying them, he had concealed himself as he advanced towards her, while he launched Hime from a distance, using a bunshin to trick Sakuya that he was standing at a distance, while in the meantime he was stealthily making him way closer to Sakuya.

" Using the wind to carry my weapons makes them lack power, but I guess I can't complain too much now that I am in this situation," Hibiki replied. Tapping the edge of his spear, he swung the tip of the blade towards Sakuya's face. Once more, Sakuya dissolved into the double image and avoided the attack at point blank range.

Drawing back his Hime once again, pulling it back using the same metal wire that it was attached to, Hibiki took aim and threw his Hime with a surprising strength. Sakuya backed up to avoid it, but instead of heading for her, Hime pierced the ground where she stood on, digging deep into the earth and burying itself underneath. Sakuya sensed the oddity of Hibiki's attack a little too late, as the ground beneath her erupted in a large explosion, throwing chunks of rock and earth up into the air.

" Windwalker Secret Technique: Sure Hit Killing Strike!" Hibiki roared, throwing himself into the mess, not before launching Tsuki from his hands and for once, managed to find its mark on Sakuya's upper chest. Sakuya screamed in pain as she felt the tip of the spear pierce her body, dropping her katana from the pain she was suffering. " Got you this time, bitch. Can't do that bloody irritating double image technique of yours now, can you?"

Hibiki had figured out she managed to do that. Her ability was merely an advance body flicker technique, where she would quickly move at blindingly fast speeds just like the body flicker technique, but she would purposely leave a couple of semi-transparent bunshin to give the illusion that she could phase through physical attacks. However, once you figure out that it was merely a body flicker technique, even if it was an advance one, it's limitations still applied: she could not do it successively, and there was a short delay each time she used it. Moreover, the body flicker technique was a technique that allowed a shinobi to move at high speeds, not teleport them through a time-space warp, which meant that they still had to physically move their bodies there. Hibiki attached a couple of explosive notes on Hime and set them off under Sakuya to throw large amounts of earth and rock to surround her, preventing her from using her body flicker technique, or at least if she used it, it would make it very obvious where her movements were as she had to pass through rock and earth.

Hibiki cruelly twisted his spear before yanking it free from her chest. Sakuya collapsed in a heap, her chest bursting with pain from the wound. As she lay on the ground gasping in pain, she saw Hibiki walk up to her with a triumphant look on his face, both his Hime and Tsuki now attached to their weapons slots on his back.

" Impressive…you are the third guy who could see through my Shadow Image technique," Sakuya replied.

" Well, too bad I wasn't the first," Hibiki replied.

Sakuya quickly reached for her kunai from her weapon pouch, but Hibiki beat her to it as he stabbed her with Tsuki, drawing his weapon faster than she could and sinking it into her shoulder. Sakuya howled in pain as she squirmed as the warm blood started to flow out from her wound.

" Don't push your luck," Hibiki replied. Sakuya merely glared at him angrily, rebellious in spirit even though she had been severely wounded. " Oh, fine, if you insist…"


	45. Chapter 44: Limit

**Chapter 44: Limit**

Reina formed a few hand seals, not before jumping and slamming her feet on the ground, sending two shockwaves that travelled through the ground towards Makoto and Mayuri. Both of them leaped out of the way, the shockwave passing them harmlessly, but Makoto sensed something approach him, and he parried a blow aimed towards his head, his kunai matching the one that nearly struck him in his head.

" Not bad at all. Maybe we can finish up our match which we left interrupted the last time," Matsuda replied, laughing slightly.

" I wasn't under the impression that we even had a match, but we are here to settle a score with your damn organisation, so I suppose I can oblige," Makoto replied, gritting his teeth.

" That's more I like it," Matsuda exclaimed, not before grabbing the blade of his kunai with his free hand. Makoto, who was fully aware of Matsuda's ability, immediately backed away just as he cut his hand, splattering blood all over the place. The red fluid started to caustically burn through whatever it touched, even the ground, and the kunai he used to cut himself with had now melted into nothing. " Two on two. I suppose this is a fairly fair fight!"

" Don't enjoy yourself too much. We still have a job to do," Reina responded seriously.

" You are too boring, Reina! There is no fun in the fight if you don't enjoy it!" Matsuda exclaimed. " We just need to eliminate them, right? Nothing wrong in enjoying ourselves while we are at it!"

" Looks like we have a blood knight in our hands. Come on, Makoto, let's wipe these fools in 2 minutes tops and help the rest," Mayuri replied confidently, cracking her hands.

" It's best to not take them lightly," Makoto noted.

" Shall I flood the place?" Mayuri asked.

" I think that might be a bad idea," Makoto replied. " Matsuda's ability uses his blood, and although he has yet to show signs of being capable of it, I think he can easily channel his blood through water, thus if you flood the area, you'll be giving him an ample medium to move his blood about. I also suspect that Reina can shoot shockwaves through water."

" Tch, you are pretty smart for a blind guy," Matsuda exclaimed. " Alright, Reina, let's go!"

Reina merely stomped her feet, and a massive barrage of shockwaves shot towards Mayuri and Makoto from the ground. Makoto quickly formed his hand seals not before slamming his hand onto the ground. He ejected a large block of earth from the ground beneath him, sending the enormous chunk of earth shooting into the air, several meters above his head. The shockwaves Reina emitted stopped short at where Makoto dug out the earth, with nothing solid to channel her attack with.

Makoto swiftly jumped upwards, not before tapping the large body of earth, shooting it forward with his wind jutsu. Matsuda and Reina leaped out of the way as they spotted a large chunk of earth flying towards them, spliting into two opposite directions. However, just as Reina moved out of the way, Makoto burst out from the chunk of earth, having quickly hidden himself as he propelled it forward.

Makoto drew his hands backwards, his wind blades forming at the tip of his fingers, ready to deal a strike, only to spin around backwards as he saw the figure of Matsuda popping up behind him, wanting to take this chance to attack Makoto while he was slightly occupied with attacking Reina. Makoto launched the wind blade from the tips of his hands to hit Matsuda at point blank range, except the attack phased through him.

" Bwahaha, missed me!" Matsuda exclaimed, popping up from the top of the chunk of earth Makoto burst out from, flinging his hand at Makoto, spraying his caustic blood on his face. The blood melted his face, not before his body turned into stone and crumbled into pieces.

" No, I think the more likely scenario is that you missed me instead!" Makoto snapped at him, causing him to turn around, only to see that Makoto had not moved from his original spot, forming a rock clone from the earth he dug up. Something hard smashed into him, and all of a sudden he was thrown violently to the side, not to mention being dripping wet. Mayuri could be seen standing towards his side, having executed a water jutsu to knock him aside.

Mayuri quickly braced herself as Reina recovered from her initial shock, and rushed towards Mayuri, who was the closest. Deciding not to use her signature attacks, she moved up for close-combat taijutsu. She threw a quick punch towards Mayuri's face, which she swiftly avoided, which was followed up by a backhand swipe. Makoto leaped into action, heading towards Reina who was currently engaging Mayuri. However, out of the corner of his eye, he caught some form of movement which diverted his attention. Matsuda was back on his feet and he was forming a few hand seals of his own.

" Secret Technique: Perpetual Haunting!"

To his amazement, Makoto could sense him collecting a small ball of blood in front of his hand which had been cut, and he could feel a collection of chakra within the ball of blood. Flinging his hands casually, Makoto spotted the blood fly towards him. He ducked quickly as the blood shot towards him, passing his head quickly, but only to notice it circle back and head towards him again.

" A homing technique?" Makoto noted.

Matsuda formed a few more pellets in his hand, not before shooting them towards Makoto. Makoto had to dodge and weave his way through, the blood pellets flying all over the place, which was making it difficult for him to keep up with. Sensing himself losing his pace, Makoto quickly executed an earth jutsu, kicking up a massive wall of earth to his right, preventing any of his blood from flying towards him on that side.

" Bad move!" Matsuda exclaimed, and Makoto found out why when a blood pellet burst out from his earth wall, having corroded the earth from the opposite side, effectively drilling a small hole to pass through. Makoto barely had time to evade it, and the pellet tore through his forehead protector from the side, striking his head and corroding through the fabric and his skin slightly. His forehead protector was torn off his face, and he felt a little blood trickle down the side of his face. Makoto figured he was pretty lucky since most of his corrosive blood from the pellet that hit him had been used to pierce its way through his rock wall.

" Makoto!" Mayuri cried in alarm, only to allow Reina to kick her in the gut, sending her careening backwards. Reina leaped at her, slamming her foot down on Mayuri, how managed to catch her strike, blocking her foot with her forearms. " Alright, that does it. If I can't use my signature water jutsus, I can use other ways to kill you idiots anyways!"

With a sudden burst of strength, Mayuri pushed Reina's feet off her, not before hopping back onto her feet, not before slamming her fists together and charging up the chakra in her body. Undetered, Reina pushed forward and threw a punch on Mayuri's chest, only to have her cough out blood as a result.

" What?" Makoto and Matsuda exclaimed in shock.

Mayuri pushed forward, pressing her palm on Reina's chest and pushing her backwards. It was just a mere push, and the hit had no sharp force or trauma, but as Reina was tumbling backwards, she was seemingly coughing out blood from her mouth.

" ...Reversing blood flow?" Reina stammered.

" That's right, bitch. My Reverse Augmentation Bloodflow Technique works by reversing your bloodflow if I come into contact with you. They don't call me the Goddess of Water for nothing, you know. Let's not get too close now, shall we?" Mayuri exclaimed, not before leaping towards Reina.

Despite bleeding from her mouth, Reina still managed to find the strength to get to her feet, dodging the blow that came towards her. Matsuda tried to help her as he shot his blood pellets towards her, only to notice them stop in mid-air all of a sudden despite his urges to make them move.

" Hmph, even if you can make them move like that, if I trap them with my wind, they are useless, aren't they?" Makoto replied, his hands raised in a counter jutsu to block Matsuda's blood pellet's movements.

" Not unless I do this!" Matsuda exclaimed.

His pellets burst into a mist, like a cloud of light red fog that moved towards him. Makoto fired a powerful wind jutsu that knocked it away. Matsuda laced his hand with his blood, not before charging towards Makoto, swerving towards Mayuri at the very last second.

" Mayuri!" Makoto shouted loudly to warn her.

" Already on it, honey!" Mayuri exclaimed, switching targets from Reina to Matsuda who was rushing towards her position. In one swift motion, she shot towards him as well. Matsuda knew he was marginally faster, and if it was a match between who will strike the first blow, he knew she was being foolish since he would succeed. However, as he swung his fist towards her, Mayuri merely non-chalantly grabbed his hand, the blood burning through her skin and flesh, making her hand bleed out from the wound, but Mayuri didn't seemed fazed by the extend of the damage on her hand.

" What?" Matsuda exclaimed. Mayuri merely grinned, just as large amounts of blood burst out of Matsuda's cut, his blood seeping all over the place.

" Ha, that was the dumbest move ever. True, your bloodline technique using your blood is interesting and unique, but I did mention that I can alter the blood flow of your body. This means you have a limited ammo, and you even took a risk by attacking me even knowing I could easily eject all the blood out from your cut," Mayuri taunted him. " Got you this time. Being the swifter one in melee combat didn't do you good, does it?"

" Matsuda, are you being an idiot! The report already states that she has a powerful innate healing ability, which almost borders on being regenerative," Reina shouted at Matsuda, and upon looking at Mayuri's hand, he could clearly see that the wound he inflicted had already healed up. Mayuri tried to move in for the kill, but Matsuda backed up fast enough, flinging his hand to spray some blood on her face. The caustic blood burned through her face, but was almost as quickly patched up, the superficial burns on her face gone almost as soon as they appeared.

" Man, that's really cool and all, but that has got to hurt, right?" Matsuda replied.

" Not...really..." Mayuri replied sarcastically.

Matsuda retreated quickly, positioning himself next to Reina. " This looks to be a little troublesome. Perhaps we should use our trump card now?" Matsuda asked.

" We should have used our trump card from the start, you moron," Reina replied, formed a few hand seals and clapping her hands together.

Makoto and Mayuri prepared themselves for the counter attack as Reina stomped her feet once more, but instead of shooting out shockwave blasts towards them, she shot them towards the buildings behind her. All of a sudden, she blasted 4 to 5 large houses into the air, not before directing them towards both of them.

" Aw, shit..." Mayuri snapped.

" Wind Release: Force Wind Cannon!"

Makoto executed his jutsu, blastinng a powerful shot of wind towards the buildings, shattering them and sending them back, but most of the buildings rubble still started to fall on them, but Makoto managed to push most of them back to allow enough room for them to maneuver out of the way. Reina continued to execute her attack, sending building after building crashing onto them.

" We are getting overwhelmed! We need to get to her and stop her!" Makoto exclaimed.

" Roger that," Mayuri exclaimed, as both of them started to rush towards Reina as large chunks of concrete and rubble started to rain down all over them. They quickly maneuvered themselves through the falling rubble.

As they advance through the falling rubble, Mayuri could easily see that Matsuda was standing right next to Reina. This was so that he could guard her in case they spring upon her, and since Reina was attacking indiscriminately, Matsuda would most likely be caught in her attack as well. However, the moment Matsuda flashed her a look, his body disappeared, only to abruptly materialise out of thin air towards her right, causing her to pause in shock.

" Ignore it, it's just an illusion!" Makoto exclaimed, knowing full well from his ears that the clone was not making any audible noise, so obviously what Mayuri was seeing was not the real body, but the damage had been done. Mayuri hesitated a little, and what little concentration she had left made her lose focus, causing the falling debris to hit her." Mayuri!"

Makoto could hear Matsuda moving, this time for real, and he was heading straight for the now incapacitated Mayuri. Changing directions abruptly, Makoto headed towards Matsuda with the full intention of cutting him off before he managed to reach Mayuri. However, from what he could observe from the distance calculated, giving an estimate from all the falling debris, Makoto would reach Mayuri faster than Matsuda due to the falling rubble blocking his path.

However, Makoto could hear a loud sizzling noises, and to his horror, he realised it was the sound of Matsuda's caustic blood burning through something. Looking towards his direction, he suddenly noticed the rubble being cleared away in a spectacular fashion, as large chunks of concrete and wood were being sliced apart. Upon further inspection, Makoto noticed that Matsuda formed what looked like long, claws on his hand using his caustic blood, and he was using it to slice his way through.

Makoto sped through the mess, weaving in and out of all the large blocks falling on him, barely dodging them by a hair's breath. Just as Matsuda was about to reach Mayuri, Makoto burst out, pushing a block of wood towards Matsuda to distract him. Matsuda merely ripped aside the block of wood to shreds, but with Makoto's presence, he paused for a while.

" That was a rather heated movement...so, she's important to you, is it?" Matsuda replied, grinning maliciously.

Before he knew it, Matsuda whiped his hand to his right, and to Makoto's horror, his blood formed a sort of whip like shape, not before striking to the right. Without thinking, Makoto instantly headed in the direction, not before his reason stopped him.

_Wait, Mayuri is towards YOUR right..._Makoto realised in horror that Matsuda tricked him in moving in the opposite direction. Matsuda was all smiles as he flipped over some rubble to unearth Mayuri from beneath, grabbing her by her collar.

" Don't move," Matsuda instructed, pointing his blood claw towards Mayuri's face.

It didn't really matter whether he moved or not. The moment Matsuda finished his words, Makoto felt like he was hit by something large and hard, and he blacked out upon impact.

ooo

Mayuri opened her eyes after a while. She felt a little hazy, her last memory was of seeing Matsuda pop up next to her and something collapsing on top of her. Whatever came next was a complete blur, as all she knew was she was knocked out for a while. However, Mayuri soon realised that it was a throbbing pain in her abdomen that woke her up from her unconsciousness.

To her horror, a long, metal piece had pierced her abdomen on her left side, inserting itself through her back and skewering itself out through the front. Blood was seeping out profusely from her wound. As if the sight of her injuries caused her to remember how to feel pain, she started to scream loudly upon realising her predicament.

Panting loudly, she tried to grab the metal pole and attempted to yank it out. However, she suddenly felt the earth move, and she felt herself being brought to her feet, and the metal pole that was stuck through her was now twisting her insides. Mayuri kept screaming until the moving stopped, and she found herself being propped upwards. Her back was facing a large concrete block of sorts, and the metal pole was attached to it, so she looked like a insect pinned to a wall.

" Wow, I'm surprised you are still conscious despite all the pain," Matsuda's voice called out to her.

Looking upwards, she spotted Matsuda and Reina standing in front of her, with Matsuda looking quite triumphant, with his hands on his hips. Mayuri tried to focus to stay awake, as the loss of blood was making her weak.

" Interesting...I suppose if your wounds are perpetual, you can't heal yourself. It would make sense, since there is a very large foreign object inside of you," Matsuda noted. Mayuri swiped her hand towards his face as he peered at her, but he backed up swiftly before she could reach him.

" Where's Makoto! ?" Mayuri shouted, looking almost beyond herself.

" Your boyfriend is in less of a bent out shape than you are, so I wouldn't worry if I were you...well, at least, for now," Matsuda replied. Mayuri tried to pull herself free, but Matsuda grabbed the tip of the metal pole and twisted it in various directions, so it ended up as a knot. " Don't try to have any funny ideas. You are not going to pull yourself free unless you want to rip your guts out."

" Let's finish this already. The rest of them are still around the area," Reina noted.

" Right," Matsuda replied.

Mayuri tried to free herself, but she found herself stuck to the wall. She was starting to get really dizzy now, the figures of Matsuda and Reina a slight blur as they walked off, heading towards Makoto was was lying in a heap, possibly unconscious and hopefully not dead. However, if she couldn't do anything fast enough, they would most definitely kill him, unless one of their companions stumble on the area.

" Gggrrraahhh!" Mayuri exclaimed, trying to untwist the metal piece so at least she could pull herself free, but she found that she didn't have the strengh to do so. " Leave Makoto alone! Makoto, get up! They are coming for you! Get up now! Guys, help!"

Nobody managed to hear her pleas, and Makoto didn't seem like he was about to get up anytime now. The bleeding continued, and she felt herself get weaker and weaker.

" Makoto, get up!" Mayuri gasped, her hands shaking as they held on tightly to the metal pole. " ..G-Get up...Makoto!"

ooo

Makoto was not unconscious, and he could hear Mayuri screaming his name.

Makoto was pretending to be unconscious. When he came to, he found himself sprawled on the ground, a large piece of brick wall crushing his feet, most likely having broken a couple of bones or so in his feet, and pinning him on the ground. Mayuri was now impaled onto a large section of a wall, and from the way she was bleeding out, she condition was in serious danger.

Moving now was disadvantageous, even through he wanted to desperately tell Mayuri he was fine. With his feet crushed, he was not in any condition to fight, thus he decided he needed to rely on a surprise technique. If they thought he was out cold, then they would let their guard down as they approached him. He had only one chance, since he was now too injured to continue fighting, and if he missed this chance, it would go badly for both of them.

Makoto tried to ignore Mayuri's pleading cries, and focused on Matsuda and Reina instead. They were both slowly approaching him, Matsuda on his left and Reina on his right. They were a good 30 meters away, and slowly closing in. Makoto tried to stay as quiet as possible, and hoped that they wouldn't notice. 20 meters, and they were still moving closer.

Unfortunately, at about 5 meters away, they stopped.

" You know, what if he's just playing dead?" Reina suggested.

Makoto snapped into action, knowing if he had to act, it was now considering they were already suspicious about him. He sat up instantly and snapped his fingers, sending a couple of wind blades in their direction, but almost predictably, they avoided the attack almost effortlessly.

" You missed your fucking shot!" Matsuda laughed at him.

" Who said I was even aiming at you, dumb ass?" Makoto exclaimed.

There was a sudden crack, and Matsuda and Reina turned around, only to realised that Makoto was lying to them, the wind blades being dispelled to make the noise to distract them. Makoto sliced the brick wall apart with his wind jutsu, freeing his legs, not before launching himself towards them, but he found himself slammed back onto the ground, Reina and Matsuda grabbing an arm each, with Matsuda slamming his forearm on to neck.

" Nice, real nice, almost got us there," Matsuda replied, grinning at him. " Too bad you 'really' missed, huh?"

" Not exactly," Mayuri replied.

Spinning around, they were greeted to a powerful punch to the face, sending them flying backwards. Mayuri was back on her feet, having regenerated the wound on her abdomen, and she looked furious, her snarling visage a terrifying sight to behold, her eyes glaring viciously at them.

" What? How did you...?" Matsuda muttered, not before noticing the metal pole that was impaling Mayuri previous had been cut off. Makoto must have struck it with his wind blade, and with the knot no longer in place, all Mayuri had to do was to pull herself free and let her regenerative abilities take over.

" It's fine if you want to call me possessive, but if you harm my fiance in my presence, be prepared to make peace with whatever Gods you pray to!" Mayuri snarled, forming a few hand seals. " I am going to kill you both! Mizuno Secret Technique: Regeneration Arts!"

Makoto was greeted by the sight of a being which was now pouring out an overwhelming amount of chakra, almost as if Mayuri had released her Celestial Gates, but this was not the case. She wasn't exerting her chakra, but it was more like she had just released her seal to allow tons of chakra to pour out from her body. Mayuri's body was now shrouded in a blazing yellow chakra cloud, her hair whipping in a frenzy as chakra poured out of her body like never before. Matsuda and Reina noted that Mayuri's eyes seemed to be glowing yellow, but that might be because of the chakra shroud that was enveloping her.

" Mayuri...?" Makoto gasped.

" Hang on, Makoto. I'll be done shortly," Mayuri assured him, not before launching herself towards them with a massive burst of chakra, the ground beneath her feet exploding as she moved.

Reina and Matsuda immediately backed up, but Mayuri was too blindingly fast for them to evade. She latched her arm on Matsuda's face, slamming him against a vertical wall of rubble. Sending a pulse of chakra into his body, Matsuda's body exploded like a balloon, his body parts and blood bursting all over the place and on Mayuri, the caustic blood sizzling on top of Mayuri's chakra coat, leaving her unharmed.

_Unbelievable...the chakra coat is so intense that it is taking physical form and the blood is burning through that instead,_ Makoto thought, observing the procedure.

Reina tried to counterattack with her shockwaves, but Mayuri merely howled at her, the blast from her yell knocking her backwards. Mayuri shot towards her at breakneck speed, sending a powerful uppercut to her jaw that launched her high up into the air. Forming her hand seals, large amounts of water started to form around her, not before taking shape as very large javelins.

" Water Release: Pinpoint Rain of Destruction," Mayuri whispered quietly, as the hundred off water javelins took shape in an instant not before shooting towards Reina's body up in the sky.

ooo

" Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" Mayuri asked worriedly, placing Makoto on the road nearby that was free of debris. " Can you move? Are you in pain?"

" Stop...Mayuri, relax, I'm fine. I think I've got a couple of fractures in my feet, but nothing I can die from," Makoto replied, trying to calm her down, and Mayuri breathed a deep sigh of relief. " Well, I know how we can get an assured victory. All I need is to get injured in a fight somehow."

" Stupid, Makoto! What's the big idea trying to play dead? ! Do you know how worried I was? ! I thought you were dead!" Mayuri scolded him, while trying to punch him in his face.

" Ow...hey, stop...I had to attempt them when they were most vulnerable," Makoto replied. " I'm sorry if I got you worried."

Mayuri looked at him with a worried expression, not before leaning down and hugging him tightly. Makoto just remained quiet, allowing her to do as she pleased. " So...ahem, you don't care if you are called 'possessive'?" Makoto replied after what seemed like a long hug.

Mayuri broke away, looking very flustered. " That...that...well, it was in the heat of fight," Mayuri stammered, going red in the face. Makoto merely laughed, and Mayuri punched him again in annoyance. " S-shut it, will you? I was worried..."

" Is that so?" Makoto replied, grinning. " Thank you then."

" ...It's fine..." Mayuri replied.

" So, this is the after-effect of your bloodline ability?" Makoto noted.

" Y-yeah, I look funny, don't I?" Mayuri replied, looking away as if she was embarrassed.

Mayuri's long dark blue hair was now shortened considerably, barely touching her neck now. Makoto didn't realise it at first, since he was awestruck by the explosive display she put up earlier, but he noticed that when she activated her ability, her hair started to shorten, as if she was burning up her hair to use as chakra.

Mayuri's bloodline limit was her ability to heal her body and more importantly, regenerate chakra. However, since there is a limit to how much one can store their chakra, even if they attempt to expend it through training, Mayuri's family had devised a technique to collect nutrients and chakra and form it through their hair, so that it acted as storage material. Her long hair contained all the extra chakra and materials needed that can be easily broken down to be absorbed as chakra or materials to regenerate her wounds. Of course, using her regenerative and extensive chakra expansion would shorten her hair, like draining out her resources.

" Are you doing to tell me how it works?" Makoto asked.

" I told you after we are legally married," Mayuri replied, and Makoto merely chuckled. " What, smartass? Something funny I said?"

" Nothing to it," Makoto replied, placing his hand on her abdomen, making her blush. " Are your wounds alright? That was a pretty nasty injury."

" I'm fine. My regenerative abilities are top notch, as long as I still have enough hair..." Mayuri replied. Makoto merely nodded his head, but he didn't take his hands off her abdomen. He continued to place his hand there, looking as if he was a little confused and somewhat elated. " Makoto, I'm fine. I know my tummy is very soft and you like to..."

" You are pregnant," Makoto replied as a matter of factly.

" ...rub your hand against...huh?" Mayuri stopped mid-sentence, not before looking at where Makoto was placing his hand. " You are not kidding?"

" ...No, why would I?" Makoto replied, not before groaning. " ...Oh crap, I'm a dad now..."


	46. Chapter 45: Absolute Heat

**Chapter 45: Absolute Heat**

" Hiroshi!"

Hiroshi turned around to see Ryouta and Takeshi travelling together. He stopped and allowed them to catch up with him, and they got together to discuss their situation.

" Huh? Both of you were moving together?" Hiroshi noted the moment they caught up to him.

" Not exactly. We just met up along the way. I was moving through from the west side, and Takeshi was nearby the area as well, so we decided to move out together," Ryouta answered. " I didn't meet to much resistance on my side, only a couple of shinobis. How about you, Hiroshi?"

" Fair. I think most of them have been spread out, but a good bulk should still be at the harbour," Hiroshi replied.

" Then we shouldn't waste our time and make haste," Takeshi noted.

" I'm afraid I cannot allow that," a voice replied.

Turning around, they spotted Kouma standing on top of of a house, his arms folded and looking down on them. He smiled at them casually as he hopped off the roof, not before landing nimbly on the ground. Hiroshi felt his confident attitude was unnerving, since he was casually challenging three enemies and yet still have enough confidence that they won't be able to harm him.

" Looks like you guys have been causing too much trouble. I don't particularly have any loyalty to this group, but I have something I need to do. Such a pain in the ass," Kouma replied. " Right, I cannot let any of you pass, but you look like nice people, so I am going to ask nicely as well. Mind if you pack up your stuff and leave quietly?"

Ryouta and Takeshi gave him perplexed looks. " You have got to be kidding. We have come this far to fall back down. We are going to succeed, one way or another," Takeshi replied.

" Is that so?" Kouma replied casually, but Hiroshi felt a chill in his spine. Despite his carefree nature, he felt as if Kouma was taking them seriously for the first time. " The Cloud village's Dark Knight Takeshi, and the Leaf's Phoenix of Konoha and the famous Azure Forest. Three highly skilled shinobis against me alone. I suppose I need to get serious this time around. I bear you all no grudge, but you all will need to go down here."

" We don't have time to play with this fool. Let's quickly take care of him and move on," Ryouta suggested.

" Agreed," Takeshi replied, preparing his hand seals.

Hiroshi flicked his hand, and a long kunai tagged with an explosive note flew towards Kouma, exploding upon impact. However, when the smoke cleared a few seconds later, it was obvious that Kouma was unharmed.

" Watch out. He's got that specialised stone armour around him now," Hiroshi replied.

" Duly noted," Ryouta answered, igniting his Immortal Phoenix technique.

All three of them charged at Kouma, Hiroshi heading straight towards him while Takeshi and Ryouta flanked him respectively from the left and right. Hiroshi shot his arm forward, his puppet arms stretching out to incredible lengths, the weapon seals inside of them unsealing a katana each. Infusing his wind manipulation into it, he struck Kouma on his chest, only to have the katana's movement grind to a halt.

" What?" Hiroshi exclaimed.

" I said I'll have to take you all seriously now! You thought I'd use the lame ass armour I did last time?" Kouma exclaimed. He grabbed the puppet arms and yanked them with all his might, pulling Hiroshi towards him. Hiroshi swiftly detached his puppet arms, but Kouma immediately launched himself towards him, giving him a swift kick to the face, sending him flying backwards. " Try harder, Azure Forest!"

" I'll be sufficient," Ryouta replied, appearing behind Kouma. Kouma attempted a backhand, but Ryouta quickly dived low to avoid the blow. His right hand was now a flaming mass of heat, with one swift punch, he launched his fists to slam into Kouma's chest. " Fire Release: Exploding Fire Fist!"

The area exploded the moment his fist came into contact with Kouma, but Ryouta realised that Kouma was unharmed. His attack merely just pushed him back slightly several meters. Kouma recovered quickly, as if he had sustained no damage, throwing a punch at Ryouta. Ryouta backed up quickly, not wanting to risk getting into Kouma's grasp. Compressing his chakra to his mouth, Ryouta took in a deep breath, not before exhaling extremely hot flames that shot out at high speeds from his mouth.

" Fire Release: Infinite Inferno Blast!"

A long column of fire shot out from Ryouta's mouth, a long, powerful stream of condense fire erupting from his body. The fire column spiraled towards Kouma, slamming into him and incinerating him, but despite the massive blow he was still physically standing. When the shot was finished, Kouma was still on his feet, his arms spread to the side, as if he was showing off his ability to take the hit full-on.

" Lightning Release: Piercing Lightning Bolt!"

Takeshi fired a bolt of lightning out of nowhere, but the bolt merely struck Kouma on his body, not before being neutralised to the ground, his body seemingly able to conduct the electricity somehow.

" Hah, as long as I keep my feet on the ground, I can easily negate your lightning," Kouma exclaimed.

" In that case..." Hiroshi exclaimed, shooting out puppet strings from his arm sockets that attached his puppet arms to his body and latching them on a weapon scroll in his pack. Pulling it out allowed him to unseal two more puppet arms, not before reattaching them to replace the ones Kouma destroyed. Now with both his arms back, he slammed his hands onto the ground, the puppet arms giving him enough destructive strength to punch through the earth, not something he could do normally. Kouma felt something travel beneath him, and all of a sudden, a massive explosion occured underneath him, sending him flying upwards. " Takeshi, now!"

Takeshi struck another lightning bolt towards Kouma, but his body merely absorbed the attack, not before he redirected it back towards them, forcing them to jump out of the way. " Sorry, I did say I could negate it if I was on the ground, but that's cos I am too lazy to divert it back towards you," Kouma replied as he landed back on the ground.

Hiroshi rushed towards Kouma, his puppet arm flaps opening up. Kouma turned around to face him, sweeping his arms sideways, but Hiroshi was quick enough to avoid it just in the nick of time by dropping his head slightly. Hiroshi slammed his palm on Kouma's chest, not before ejecting his puppet arm like a rocket, sending Kouma flying. The boost from the puppet arm eventually slammed Kouma back onto the ground, the force of the slam causing the ground to crack.

" What's this? You think a mere puppet arm can handle me?" Kouma asked, sounding as if he wasn't worried.

" I'm not done yet!" Hiroshi exclaimed. " False Elemental Arts: Wind!"

A short, metal prop popped up from the middle of the disconnected puppet arm. Ryouta and Takeshi sensed a moment of energy, not before two wind blades the length of almost 10 meters struck Kouma squarely on his chest in the shape of a cross. The wind blades were sharp enough tear through the ground effortlessly, but Kouma was unfazed by the attack.

" Damn it, one more time! False Elemental Arts: Lightning!" Hiroshi exclaimed, sending another pulse of chakra towards his puppet arm.

There was a tremendous localised collection of lightning chakra through the puppet arm, and within seconds of it amassing, it charged down the length of the puppet arm, discharging it into Kouma. The blast was intense, so much that the flare from the lightning shock almost blinded them, but Kouma was hardly affected.

" I'm not done yet! False Elemental Arts: Fire!" Hiroshi exclaimed.

Six metal rods shot out from the puppet arm, landing to form a circle around Kouma, not before forming a barrier. The moment that happened, the puppet arm erupted in a massive explosion, and if not for the barrier, the force of the condensed blast would easily cover a diameter of 50 meters. Hiroshi erected the barrier to ensure the damage from the explosion was all focused on a specific target. As his barrier dissipated and released all the smoke it contained from the blast, it was obvious it didn't work as Kouma merely got up and casually brushed off the dust that had collected on him.

" You have got to be kidding me. We are throwing our best attacks here, and nothing is working," Hiroshi replied, feeling slightly spent. " Is this person truly invincible?"

" That is impossible. There is no jutsu that is completely perfect. Basic Ninjutsu Theory: It always has limitations. His technique is damn good, but it doesn't mean its perfect," Ryouta replied. " You two go ahead. I'll deal with him."

" You can't be serious. The three of us can't take him down, what do you expect to achieve alone?" Takeshi exclaimed.

" Nothing, I'll just need to test the limits of my power. Go, him stalling three of us will be a big disadvantage for our side. You don't need to worry about a thing. I'll manage, like I always do," Ryouta replied.

" Ryouta..."

" Hiroshi, relax. Can you trust me when I say I can handle this?" Ryouta replied.

Hiroshi looked a little reluctant, but he decided he had to comply. " Alright, we will leave him in your hands," Hiroshi replied, as both Takeshi and Hiroshi moved to head further into the town. However, Kouma moved in front of them, blocking their way.

" I thought I said I'm not letting you pass," Kouma replied.

" Try then. I'm not stopping you from doing, assuming you can," Ryouta exclaimed, firing a fireball from his mouth. The fireball slammed into Kouma not before erupting in a massive blast that sent him flying. As he was no longer blocking their way, Hiroshi and Takeshi hurried forward, leaving Ryouta to deal with Kouma.

" Owie, that hurt a little. Tch, looks like I have to play catch-up later," Kouma replied. " You think you can really take me on, Phoenix of Konoha?"

" Of course I can. What a silly question," Ryouta replied.

" The problem is your fabled techniques are not leaving a scratch on me," Kouma replied.

" True, there lies the main problem," Ryouta replied, extinguishing the flames on his hands and reaching for his pocket on his vest, taking out a soldier pill, not before popping it into his mouth. " Still, your ability is a defensive one. No doubt, it will probably add weight to your attacks, but save for that fact, it's merely a defense mechanism. There is a limit to durability or chakra to withstand the damage you are taking."

" Sounds like you wish to pit my defensive capabilities against your firepower," Kouma noted.

" Yes, shall we?" Ryouta replied, relighting the flames on his hands, this time powered up with a soldier pill for added effect and power.

Ryouta fired a massive fireball, slamming into Kouma not before exploding in a fiery explosion. Kouma was undeterred, and continued forward, heading towards Ryouta. Focusing more chakra to his hands, Ryouta launched another volley of fire, the stream of flames seemingly pouring out from his hands in a never-ending torrent, but the heat was barely enough to make Kouma slow down his advance.

Kouma slammed his hands on the ground, sending large chunks of rocks flying towards Ryouta's direction. Ryouta quickly moved aside to avoid being hit, backing up to leave some distance between him and Kouma. He wasn't sure how strong he was exactly, but if his exterior was made of something that was close to indestructible, and since Kouma's only offensive ability was his tough attacks, Ryouta didn't want to risk it being too close.

Ryouta slammed his fists onto the ground, not before emitting a burst of chakra to the ground. Kouma noted that Ryouta suddenly pulled out a huge chunk of earth from beneath him, in which the size was comparable to a small house. Ryouta suddenly engulfed the entire mold of earth in intense flames, so much that the large chunk of earth started to glow like a molten ball.

" Boy oh boy," Kouma mused as Ryouta flung the molten ball towards him.

The large ball smashed into Kouma, melting down the surrounding around him, the intense heat setting off flames and heat to the surrounding area. Unfortunately, Kouma merely walked out of the molten ball, seemingly unharmed.

" Your attacks aren't working," Kouma taunted.

" I'm not done yet!" Ryouta exclaimed, spreading his arms wide, the flames in his hands seemingly coming to life. " Fire Release: Firestorm Barrage!"

A collection of 10 bodies of levitating fire started to appear all around Ryouta, the flames condensing not before firing hundreds of fireballs towards Kouma, exploding upon either hitting him or the surrounding area, each blast about as powerful as a small explosion. Kouma seemed unfazed, crossing his arms to lessen the blow, but the explosions merely knocked him backwards. The blasts stopped coming for a while, and when Kouma tried to peer through his smoky surroundings, he saw that Ryouta was nowhere visible.

All of a sudden, he felt a kick to his face, not before a powerful eruption exploded from the kick. Ryouta rushed up to Kouma, kicking him in the face, not before focusing his fire power to his legs. The kick knocked Kouma back several feet, which surprised Ryouta as he used enough force to throw a person at least a good 20 meters. Whatever material Kouma was using to defend himself against his attacks was significantly heavy.

Ryouta formed his hand seals in a flurry, not before blowing out a massive tornado spiral of wind from his mouth. Kouma was ready to react to it, but he noticed that the whirlwind was being shot in the direction opposite of him. Spinning around, Ryouta formed another set of seals, slamming his hand on the ground. The ground beneath him rose, not before forming the head of a dragon with a massively open jaw. The initial wind tornado spun back towards Ryouta, and there was a rumbling sound coming from the dragon's head, which sounded like something flowing.

" Fire Release: Combination Fireblast!"

Ryouta clasped his hands together, not before breathing out flame on the large amounts of oil that was gushing out from the dragon's mouth. It ignited the oil, not before the whirlwind smashed into the fire, fuelling it even more. The intensity of the fire multiplied, and the blast of intense burning flames and oil shot towards Kouma, striking him and erupting in a massive blast, the shock of the blast almost sending Ryouta off-balance. Despite the sheer power of it, Kouma merely leaped from the smoking crater it created, his hands forming seals to prepare something.

" God damn it!" Ryouta spat.

Kouma formed a few hand seals, and Ryouta's extensive knowledge of jutsus told him by observing his final few hand seals, the jutsu Kouma was executing was an earth based jutsu. Just as Kouma slammed his hands on the ground, Ryouta shot himself upwards, trying to avoid whatever Kouma was trying to hit him with from the ground.

" Nice reaction, but wrong technique," Kouma exclaimed.

A large pair of earth shaped arms burst from where Ryouta was standing. Ryouta tried to blast the flames in his hands forward to propel himself away, but the rock arms managed to catch Ryouta. Without wasting any time, he blew them to bits with his explosive fire, breaking himself free, but the split second where he was trapped gave Kouma enough time to move towards Ryouta and capture him in a powerful embrace.

" Caught you now!" Kouma replied, not before squeezing powerfully.

The grip Kouma had on him was tremendous, and Ryouta felt a ring of crushing weight wrapping around his body, almost as if it was about to squeeze him in half. Taking in a deep breath, Ryouta breathed out fire from his mouth, hitting Kouma at point-blank range, the flames smashing through his face. To his horror, it didn't have any effect, and Kouma merely tightened his grip. Ryouta felt Kouma's arm crushing his insides, and blood spurted out from his mouth as Kouma started to crush his internal organs.

In a desperate attempt to free himself, Ryouta set his entire body on fire, not before blowing himself up. The blast managed to barely loosen Kouma's grip, and he took this short opportunity to free himself from Kouma's grip, and he backed off, his sides hurting badly from being crushed. He could still taste his blood in his mouth, and he continued to cough slightly, his insides stinging badly.

" Shit, that was too close," Ryouta replied, wiping off the blood from his mouth using his hands, the flames on his hands now extinguished, since he was almost out of chakra.

" Looks like you are out of options. You just used almost a good chunk of your chakra just to escape. You can't fight anymore," Kouma replied.

" Yes, I can," Ryouta objected.

" True, you can struggle, except there is no jutsu you can use to stop me. So even with full chakra, you are still unlikely to stop me. From what I heard, they say you are fairly proficient in genjutsu, but for the fact that you didn't use it means you either deduced that it would be ineffective for a shinobi of my calibre, or that you can't execute a genjutsu at a level that would disrupt me. You are not likely to use taijutsu, since I can easily defeat you in close combat, and if you had anything more effective than your fire jutsus, you would have used them already," Kouma replied. " Face it, buddy, you cannot beat me."

_Is this true?_ Ryouta thought. _Is there nothing else in my arsenal that might help me pass through his defense?_ While he could use all five elements, fire was by far his more destructive one, and if it couldn't dent Kouma one bit, he doubted that anything else of lesser value would work. It did occur to him if Sora was here, he sound techniques could easily break through Kouma's defense, but she wasn't here, and Ryouta had no knowledge in any high leveled sound techniques to break through Kouma's armour.

Undeterred, Ryouta took out yet another soldier pill.

" Hold up, you just took one a minute ago. Taking another so soon is going to destroy your body, not to mention your insides are a mess. The surge of chakra is going to hurt like hell," Kouma warned him.

" Unfortunately, I am out of ideas, and in my state, unless I can beat you, I'm as good as dead, and unless one of my companions manages to come here, I doubt any of the others can beat your defence. I hate gambles, since I despise risking things on chance. I always prefer absolute victory over a risky bet," Ryouta replied. " Too bad being a shinobi means you cannot always attain absolute victory. I'll have to make a bet, and I'll have to make the biggest bet of my life."

Ryouta ignored the dangers, and bit down on the soldier pill. Ryouta felt the same surge of chakra overwhelm his body, but this time he was riddled with intense pain, especially his insides. The surge of chakra was burning his insides, unable to handle the stress due to the damage it had taken from Kouma's attack and the previous surcharge of chakra from the previous intake of the soldier pill. Ryouta coughed out more blood, his insides burning like a hellfire, his vision getting really confusing, his world spinning wildly. He tried his best to focus, taking deep breaths and trying to calm his body. Soon enough, his body normalised, and he was filled with energy and spirit again, although his insides were hurting like a bitch.

" Fire Release: Immortal Phoenix Technique," Ryouta replied, forming his signature 12 handseals, not before igniting his hands on fire once more.

" I'm surprised you managed to survive, you must have one heck of a lot of willpower," Kouma replied.

" Willpower? Hardly. My two teammates have far more willpower than I have," Ryouta replied, grinning slightly.

" Still, your attacks were useless before, so what use is using your signature technique again?" Kouma asked.

" Well, I do have an idea," Ryouta replied, clapping his hands together, not before bringing them apart.

The moment he split his hands apart, the flames on his hands died down, and an intense ball of light materialised in the middle of his hands. It was tiny and minuscule, but it started to expand, sucking up chakra like it was a black hole, the ball growing larger by the second, but almost not proportional to the amount of chakra that it was absorbing. It soon enlarged to the size of Ryouta's fist, and when he released his hands, the intense ball of light was attached to his right hand, levitating several millimeters from his hand, kept in place by the massive output of chakra from Ryouta's hand to prevent it from exploding in his face.

" Know what this is?" Ryouta asked, raising the ball to his face, presenting it to Kouma.

" …You've got to be joking. That thing looks like a…miniature sun," Kouma noted.

" Indeed, and I can easily assure you that it has the exact firepower of one. This is a nigh useless technique, since I need to be at full power to be able to use it only once. Highly ridiculous by shinobi standards, and for the fact that I need to reserve twice as much chakra that was needed to create this miniature sun just to prevent it from destroying myself. There was one day when I wanted to test the limits of my abilities, and I made this. I haven't used it since, since it was borderline useless in almost all situations," Ryouta answered. " However, this is the most powerful thing I can conjure. If this doesn't break through your defense, then I'm more than willing to give up. Question is, can it?"

" Why don't you try?" Kouma taunted him.

" It is said that a skilled shinobi can easily analyse the enemy's weakness, but it takes a true expert to know his own weakness intimately. Your expression changed very subtlety when I used this, and I managed to catch it," Ryouta replied, glaring fiercely at Kouma. " You've seen the extent of my power, and from your expression, you know that your defense can't withstand an attack of this power. My victory is assured the moment I catch you!"

With that, Ryouta immediately charged towards Kouma.

Kouma responded by breaking off a superficial layer off his body, a thin layer of rock which was his foundation for his armour was now discarded. Ryouta deducted that he was right, and that since his rock armour was now useless, he was discarding it since it was more likely to slow him down due to its sheer weight. However, Kouma was fairly agile even with the armour on, and Ryouta knew from his hits that the armour was really heavy, so it was to no surprise that Kouma was move at very fast speeds, almost like Sora.

" At this speed level, I can still keep up with you!" Ryouta exclaimed.

Making his miniature sun leak out some energy, Ryouta propelled himself forward like a shooting rocket. Kouma barely managed to catch his burst in speed, not before changing directions, Ryouta missing him as Ryouta tried to slow his advance to turn around. Kouma could tell the miniature sun packed a hell of a punch, since despite passing Ryouta by merely a few feet, he could feel the heat almost burning his face.

Kouma noted a few things about Ryouta: it was a self-defeating jutsu given enough time. Ryouta was using way more energy to maintain the miniature sun than he did to create it, and the chakra drainage was enormous, so much that Kouma expects that Ryouta would run out of chakra in about 30 seconds, give or take. Also, Kouma's speed was faster than Ryouta, and Ryouta would need to move up close to use his technique. Ryouta's technique of leaking out some energy from the miniature sun was an interesting technique that allowed him to attain travelling speeds that he would not be normally be able to achieve. However, since Ryouta has no prior training of travelling at such speeds, his movements are not highly controlled, and there would be a high deviation in his accuracy of movement. If Kouma can dodge Ryouta for a good part of half a minute, Ryouta will lose.

Ryouta knew his limitations. The jutsu was burning through his energy reserves like no tomorrow. He barely had half a minute before getting burned out. He had about 20 more seconds before he would lose control over his jutsu. The match had to be decided within 20 seconds. The clock was ticking.

Ryouta slammed his right hand onto the ground, and the ground beneath him exploded in a fiery blast. Kouma knew that Ryouta was moving underground, wanting to trick him. Kouma tried to sense where Ryouta was coming from, but the chakra surges started to split into multiple directions underground.

" Diversions?" Kouma thought, sensing at least 5 separate large bodies of chakra and heat, but none that had the same energy reading as the miniature sun. " He's hiding his ability well to maximise his chance on the ambush."

There was a burst on his right, and the ground blew up, not before the figure of Ryouta emerged, with massive amounts of fire trailing him from behind. Kouma noted that he had no miniature sun, so it was most likely a bunshin, since he doubt that a mere clone could withstand the intensity of the jutsu. Very obvious, but the clone was not a decoy, but a diversion. Ryouta was biding his time to make sure to strike the moment Kouma was occupied.

_Fine, I'll call your bluff…_Kouma thought, not before charging towards the clone. Within a split second, Kouma threw a punch towards the clone. The clone crossed its arms, blocking the blow not before being thrown backwards. Just at the instance, the ground behind him exploded in a fiery blast, and Kouma felt a presence behind him.

" Gotcha!" Kouma exclaimed, seeing Ryouta emerge in a burst of intense flames from below. However, he wasn't carrying the miniature sun, which meant the second one was also a clone, and it proved to be correct as it burst into flames, not before blasting itself towards Kouma, heating up his surroundings and covering him in a sea of flames. He moved backwards quickly, to feel someone grab him from behind. " What?"

It was the first clone, except that from the way it was grabbing Kouma, he felt like this wasn't a clone. Ryouta grabbed onto his attire with a fierce grip, not before pulling his free hand back, opening the palms of his hands wide. All of a sudden, Kouma's eyes widened in shock as he saw Ryouta create the same miniature sun on the top of his right hand.

" …You got to be shitting me!" Kouma exclaimed.

" You assume too much. You assumed I needed two hands to activate this jutsu, when in a technical sense, I only really needed one. You also assume that I would be holding on to it, under the assumption I cannot make another. I can, except my insides are probably bleeding out from having taken another soldier pill," Ryouta exclaimed.

Kouma looked at him in shock. _This guy is crazy enough to burn his insides by taking an extra soldier pill just to cause a diversion?_ Kouma thought, the heat from the miniature sun already lashing at his face at this distance.

" This is it! Immortal Phoenix Final Technique: Solar Flare!" Ryouta screamed.

Ryouta slammed the miniature sun on Kouma's chest, and his entire body erupted in light, the intensity of the heat so bright it was almost blinding. His body was being destroyed so fast it was as if he was disintegrating on the spot. The sun erupted, and the whole area was engulfed in an incandescent light, not before dying down seconds later, having burn through the ground and Kouma, leaving nothing in its wake except for Ryouta, who was on his knees, in bad shape from burning through too much chakra.

" Crap, I feel like shit…" Ryouta groaned, dropping to the ground, his entire body aching and in severe pain. His muscles in his hand were twitching painfully, and he felt his consciousness slowly sleeping away. " …Guess…guess…I need a little…nap first…"


	47. Chapter 46: Suzumi and Aya

**Chapter 46: Suzumi and Aya**

Kouga and Akira rushed towards Suzumi, both of them having the full intent on closing in on her with their taijutsu attacks. Suzumi merely gave them a bored look, not before rushing towards them, passing through them easily. Both of them swung around to strike her, but Suzumi easily parried their blows.

" I'll leave this to you," Suzumi replied.

" You can count on me!" Aya exclaimed excitedly.

Aya quickly swooped in, rushing towards Kouga. Kouga threw a sweeping kick towards Aya, only to have her block his attack easily by raising her arm, feeling almost as if he had hit a steel wall. Grabbing his leg, Aya picked him up and swung him around, sending him crashing into Akira, throwing both of them backwards.

" Heads up!" Suzumi told Aya.

Aya whipped her body around as several sickles shot towards her, spinning dangerously towards her head. She managed to twist her body like an acrobat, the sickles barely missing her neck by mere centimeters as she dodged them. Minami was perched at a distance, having brought out two puppets, one that looked like a praying mantis, while another looked like a lizard. The lizard puppet opened its mouth, and multiple protrusions shot out from its jaw, shooting themselves at Aya. Aya quickly shot a look at Minami, their eyes making contact as Aya mischievously winked at her.

Minami winced as a massive, bright flare erupted in front of her, blinding her sights. It was a sight genjutsu, and the moment she recovered, she saw Aya right in front of her, looking mad with glee as she drew her hand backwards. She barely had any time to get her praying mantis puppet in-between themselves, Aya's hand smashing through the solid puppet with impunity, her hand piercing through its main body. However, Minami was quick to notice that Aya was carrying something in her clenched fist.

Aya crushed the small capsule in her hand, and the area started to be covered in a thick, purple haze. Minami, alarmed at the sight of the poison, backed up immediately, and Aya took the chance to slap an explosive note on it, not before kicking it aside as it exploded into tiny little bits. Bursting out of the fog, Aya noted Akira and Kouga forming their hand seals.

" Switch over!" Suzumi told Aya.

" My pleasure!" Aya exclaimed.

Akira and Kouga casted their genjutsus at the same time, and Suzumi's vision started to blur all of a sudden, while sensing a loss in her sense of touch. Her surroundings suddenly felt a little bizarre towards her, not to mention a little awkward.

" Not bad. Quite a decent genjutsu," Aya noted.

" Too low class, if you ask me," Suzumi replied, not before blinking once, and the genjutsu dissipated, her vision and sensation returning to normal. Kouga and Akira looked slightly aghast, seeing that Suzumi had just effortlessly disabled their genjutsu with ease. " My turn! Illusion of the Northern Winds: Freeze!"

All of a sudden, Kouga, Akira and Minami felt a chill around them, as if the temperature had just dropped by 30 degrees. Unable to help themselves, they started shivering even though the normal temperature was warm, as if they had just walked into a blizzard. Akira rushed towards Suzumi, the false sensation of a windy chill slowing her movements and making her sluggish, but she still managed to land a strike on Suzumi, not before sending a burst of chakra into her body. Unfortunately, the effects of the chilling genjutsu did not leave, but in fact intensified.

" What?" Akira exclaimed.

" Bwahahaha, it's not ME that's controlling the genjutsu, you know?" Aya screamed at her, not before grabbing her and slamming her onto the ground. " Full Control: Self Destruct!"

Kouga and Minami looked in horror as Akira started to bleed out, blood seeping out from her mouth, nose and eyes, and it was evident that she was dead after several seconds. Not finished with her, Aya picked up Akira's body like a rag doll, and injected a large dose of whatever she had in a syringe into her body, not before tossing it towards Minami. Suzumi pulled out several sharp looking scalpels, not before throwing them at Akira's body, the surgical knives tearing through her body and coming out the other side, slicing Minami slightly not before splattering blood all over her.

" Shit!" Minami exclaimed, grabbing Akira's body, placing it aside as he blood smeared all over her. All of a sudden, she suddenly felt dizzy, and she dropped to her knees. Something was wrong with her, but she was not sure what. However, a sudden realisation occurred to her when she remembered Suzumi injecting Akira's body with something.

" Figured it out, huh? I sent a little poison circulating in the bloodstream. You don't have long left, it's fairly powerful after all," Suzumi replied as Minami dropped to the ground, breaking out in violent convulsions. She turned around to look at Kouga, glaring at him. " You are the only one left. You people bore me."

With that, she started to slowly walk towards him, while Kouga was frozen to the spot, apparently parazlyed by her genjutsu without him knowing it. She leaped at him, slamming her fist into his chest as she dug out his heart. There was a look of horror on Kouga's face as he dropped to the ground, looking at the hole in his chest as Suzumi held his beating heart. Suzumi crushed his heart with her fists, not before tossing the lump of meat aside.

" Alright, you little cunts. I know you are still out there. Playing this genjutsu games bores me!" Aya exclaimed.

" They have concealed themselves fairly well. I could almost say I was fooled by their tricks," Suzumi replied.

" If our clan if famed for our genjutsu ability, it's impossible for them to go down this fast. Besides, while realistic, none of that felt real. They could trick us singularly, but they cannot trick both of us at once," Aya replied. " Behold our power, you filthy maggots!"

" Kai!" Suzumi exclaimed, clapping her hands together and sending a calculated burst of chakra into her body. The moment she dispelled her genjutsu, a hundred kunais shot towards her, all descending like an angry swarm of bees towards her direction. " Well, shit…" Aya mused when she noted the kunais.

" Relax, this number is nothing," Suzumi replied, clapping her hands together. " Medical Arts: Force Fortification Technique!"

The kunais struck her with pin-point accuracy, but they merely bounced off her body, the blades ripping her attire to shreds but leaving her body, or more specifically her skin, unharmed. The kunais dropped harmlessly onto the ground along with her shirt and vest, which was ripped to shreds.

" Neat trick," Aya noted.

" I layer out my chakra on my skin, which forms some level of protection against piercing attacks. It cannot take too much damage, but against simple weapons like kunais, it's really useful," Suzumi replied, reaching inside her pack to pull out a large cloak from a scroll as she didn't fancy fighting half-naked. " Come on, you little pricks, you have to do way better than that!"

Aya leaped upwards as high as she could, attempting to avoid a massive puppet claw from smashing her to bits. Spinning around in mid-air, Suzumi tossed several vials onto the surface of the claw, which promptly dissolved almost instantly, breaking into bits the moment it tried to crush Suzumi's body. Grabbing the claw, Aya yanked the puppet out from the ground, pulling out a massive puppet in the form of a crab. Suzumi pulled out an explosive tag, courtesy of Hiroshi, not before tossing it towards the crab's body, rending it asunder the moment it exploded.

However, a number of tendril-like shapes burst from the ground, wrapping themselves onto Suzumi's hands and legs. She quickly noticed that it was very long hair holding her in place, most likely Akira's from the looks of it. Once she was stuck, one final tendril burst out from below the ground, piercing her in the back on her shoulder, Aya barely flinching at the final second to avoid getting skewered anywhere closer to the heart.

" Can hair be considered an organic body part?" Aya mused, looking at her injury.

" I suppose so," Suzumi replied, closing her eyes to focus.

A second later, her body seemed to be absorbing the hair, as if it was integrating them to her own body. The hair retracted immediately the moment Suzumi tried to absorb it, but Aya caught the ends of a section, more specifically the one that was piercing her shoulder. Suzumi quickly popped a pill into her mouth, not before Aya yanked the hair with all her strength. The strength of her pull was powerful enough to unearth Akira from beneath the surface, pulling her out from the ground.

Suzumi spat something in Akira's direction, which she merely blocked with her hair by moving it in front of her face. Whatever she spat out was wet and sticky, but Akira suddenly noticed that her hair was sizzling where it had been splashed with whatever fluids Suzumi shot out, not to mention it was starting to smell badly. In an instant, she cut her hair with a kunai, while Aya charged towards her, her eyes looking mad with glee.

Just as she was about to strike Akira, she dropped low as Kouga came in from behind, throwing a flying kick in her direction. As she tried to move, she found her feet to be stuck on the ground.

" Some form of adhesive…possibly from Minami," Suzumi informed Aya as Kouga and Akira rushed towards Aya now that she was stuck to the ground.

" Like this fucking adhesive is going to slow me down even for a fraction!" Aya yelled, yanking her legs with such force that she pulled out a chunk of earth that was attached to her legs by the adhesive, much to Akira and Kouga's surprise. She then proceeded to launch herself towards Kouga, slamming the large chunk of earth on his face, smashing it to bits in the process. " Hahaha, how'd you like that now, bitch!" Aya howled with laughter.

The moment she was done, she found herself wrapped in long puppet arm attachments, stalling her movements. Akira shot forward and slammed her foot in her face, knocking her sideways.

" Your friggin puppets are annoying the hell outta me!" Aya exclaimed, her lips bleeding.

" Use this!" Suzumi advised, not before her entire body was enveloped in thick, noxious yellow fumes. The puppet attachments that held her in place melted away as if they had come into contact with some form of corrosive acid, breaking her free.

" Nice, very nice!" Aya laughed, not before launching herself towards Akira.

She was stalled as Kouga launched a kick towards her face. She promptly blocked it with her hands, but Kouga didn't let up as he launched a multitude of kicks towards her, forcing her to parry them. She was quite surprised as the caustic yellow gas was not affecting him in any manner. " How odd. He seems immune to your tricks," Aya responded.

" I've got more than one trick," Suzumi replied, this time emitting green gas along with the original yellow one, and Kouga backed up immediately. Suzumi followed up by charging chakra into her hands, causing it to turn bright blue. " Here's a little upgrade for you. Go crazy!"

" Much obliged!" Aya replied, not before throwing herself at Kouga, her entire body still emitting poisonous clouds of deadly and caustic gases, while the palms of her hands were brimming with bright coloured chakra. Kouga quickly backed away, knowing facing her now in close combat was disadvantageous for him. Aya rushed towards him, wanting to crush him quickly, only to find several large rocks flying in her direction. She smashed her hands through the rocks, her chakra powered palms apparently enabling her to slice through them like a hot knife running itself through butter. " Your genjutsus are boring me! Is this the limits of your power? You are all insufferably weak!"

Kouga and Akira formed their hand seals, but Suzumi casted her genjutsu faster, looking at them as she used her technique. " Death Illusion Technique: Chrono Freeze," Suzumi replied, looking at them in the eye. Unbeknown to them, they started to slow down in their movements, although in their perception, Suzumi seemed to speed up considerably. " Too slow! Far too fucking slow! Silent Requiem: Death Seeker's Illusion!" Aya howled, prepping her genjutsu.

" False Illusionary Time: Final Break!" Suzumi exclaimed, casting another genjutsu on both of them at the same time.

Both Akira and Kouga stood frozen on their spots, not moving and their eyes seemingly out of focus. Suzumi took out a small vial and tossed it in their direction, breaking into a thick cloud of smoke as it hit the ground where they stood. " Breath, take in your last, good breath, you little mongrels," Aya replied, controlling them to inhale the poisonous fumes, causing them in absorb the poison through their lungs. The result ended with them vomiting blood and falling to the ground, writhing in pain.

" Bwahahaha, this is friggin hilarious. You should take a good look at yourselves!" Aya replied, laughing.

" We still have one more person to eradicate," Suzumi replied in a bored manner.

" Well, it's not like I haven't figured out where that brat was hiding…oh, looks like she is trying to escape," Aya replied casually.

Without warning, Aya leaped towards the right, smashing her body through the wall of a building with ease, not before grabbing Minami, who was in the process of trying to escape the place, by her head and slamming her violently on the ground, pinning her firmly to prevent her from escaping. Minami tried to struggle, but the sensation of the cold steel of a senbon needle to her neck stopped her, since she knew it was the end for her.

" Game over…actually, it wasn't more of a game, more like a 1-sided slaughter fest, which I utterly enjoyed. Thank you for dying for my entertainment," Aya replied, leaning close to Minami's ears and breathing down her neck as she spoke. " Still, you weren't that challenging…but I'll be generous and give you passable marks."

" This is the end. If what you say is true, then with you gone, I'll be the last person to pass down my bloodline, the last of my Nagato clan. You could have easily avoided all this mess if you had the brains to leave my family and my life alone," Suzumi told Minami.

" You have no idea…" Minami started, but Suzumi lifted her head and slammed it back onto the ground to silence her.

" I have no idea what you have been through? No shit, of course I haven't. I lived a nice, comfortable…well, as comfortable as a shinobi can get, but fairly decent life which I cannot complain about. What do I know about exile and being treated like shit from the village I came from?" Suzumi replied. " No, silly girl. You are in this problematic predicament which you cannot escape because you dug this dumb hole for your own good. You should have left me alone."

" I don't give two shits about your petty ass revenge, or whether or not it is justified or just some lousy justice bullshit you like to spout. But, all things considering, knowing that you screwed with my family, you didn't think I'll let you live through with it, did you?" Suzumi replied. " Well, I have to thank you. Even if I don't remember, I certainly feel at odds with my other team members in terms of my usefulness throughout these last few weeks, and I highly suspect this was part of my behaviour and character prior to the memory splice. I have to thank you profoundly for making me more powerful than any of them can ever imagine. It's nice that you were thoughtful about my inferiority complex."

" Now that I've had my say, I'm going to kill you. As a medic-nin, I am very proficient in being able to cause large amounts of pain with minimal damage to the body as to prolong torture sessions. Normally, I usually don't do this, but I think I'll make an exception this time around, considering I am going to enjoy it," Suzumi replied, and she could sense a shiver of fear run through Minami's body. " Aya, would you like to help me out?"

" Thought you'd never ask," Aya answered.

ooo

Several minutes later, Suzumi stepped out of the house through the front door, her entire body bathed in crimson blood, a scalpel in one hand and a kunai in another. She looked a little tired and lethargic, tossing the items in her hands precariously on the ground, not before lazily propping herself on the door. Suzumi breathed a loud sigh, while Aya was waiting, feeling slightly bored now with the lack of activity.

" She's still alive, you know," Aya replied.

" I know, but she won't be, not for long," Suzumi replied. " I need to pick another hobby."

" Hahaha, I know, this one doesn't suit you. But you know, you can always leave this shit to me," Aya replied, only to notice that Suzumi was fairly quiet now after her initial outburst. " What, feeling morally wrong now? Out of adrenaline to give you a rush?"

" No…it's just…weird. It's been a couple of weeks, but through this span of time, I've lost my parents, lost my original self, learned a realisation of my family secrets, and decimated what was left of my cursed bloodline. All of a sudden, I feel so alone in this world, like I am the only one left," Suzumi replied. " How melancholic, this isn't like me."

" How would you know? You just said you weren't you," Aya chided her.

" Hmph, you sure have a sharp tongue," Suzumi replied. " Is it over?"

" What? Most definitely not! This spiral of events is far from over," Aya replied.

" …What haven't we resolved yet?" Suzumi asked, sounding perplexed.

" There are still a shitloads of random people we have to kill. This place is full of them. We need to move fast to kill as many as possible. I doubt that I will get a good chance to do this kind of shit anytime soon. Can we please start moving now? I'm not even tired yet," Aya started to complain.

Suzumi thought for a moment, not before giggling slightly. " You sure are simple-minded, aren't you, Aya?" Suzumi asked.

" I sure am. Are we going to kill something or not?" Aya asked.

ooo

Hiroshi continued on his way, having split up with Takeshi earlier to cover more ground. He managed to disable a lone guard who was blocking his advance with little trouble, but Hiroshi managed to continue unhindered for most of his way.

" I knew you would come," a voice replied.

Hiroshi turned aorund, only to see Miyako standing right behind him, apparently having managed to approach him without him noticing. She was still hilariously dressed in her kimono, but despite her attire she still looked as dangerous as ever. Still, if she planned on fighting him, Hiroshi wasn't sure why she bothered warning him in the first place considering she could sneak up on him so well.

" Interesting. You actually pulled it off. I'm surprised you managed to survive," Miyako replied.

" Stop this. I don't want to fight you," Hiroshi pleaded.

" Why? Playing the righteous hero now?" Miyako asked. " You disgust me!"

" You are right, I am sympathising with you and your past. It probably helps that you are young, so I have a sense of wanting to protect an innocent person. Why don't you give up a life of crime? I wouldn't say this will solve anything, but it's not in your person or character to be this way," Hiroshi replied.

Miyako didn't reply, but merely glared at him, her eyes slowly changing into the blue glowing spirals as she activated her bloodline ability. Hiroshi felt hesitant to fight back, knowing he wasn't particularly going to like the result. " I am going to kill you now. Are you going to continue trying to save me, or are you actually going to fight back?" Without waiting for her reply, she launched herself towards him before Hiroshi could react.

Miyako was then promptly greeted with a kick to the face.

Sora shot out from the side, launching a powerful kick towards Miyako's face as she was preoccupied with attacking Hiroshi. The kick threw her towards the side, sending her crashing through one of the nearby houses, smashing through the front door and brekaing it apart as she went flying through it.

" Sora!" Hiroshi exclaimed in alarm as he spotted her.

" Yo, dumbass! Trying to get yourself killed? Not that you haven't tried doing it before," Sora replied, making a face as she cracked her knuckles. " Face it, kiddo. We can't save every wronged shinobi who was fucked before. We aren't saints, you know. If we were, I'd be armed with words instead of my fists."

" No, I want to save her. She's not meant for this," Hiroshi replied.

" Why are you so hell bent on saving that hussy anyway?" Sora asked, sighing loudly.

" A sense of accomplishment," Hiroshi answered.

Sora merely sighed loudly. " Fine, I'll help out. But if she aims for my neck first, don't blame me if I kill her before you convince her otherwise," Sora replied, both of them raising their fists as Miyako walked out of the door, glaring at them angrily as she prepared to attack.


	48. Chapter 47: Convince

**Chapter 47: Convince**

" By the way, do you have any arsenal left?" Sora asked. " We've been fighting for a while, and you haven't stocked up yet."

" Relax, I have enough of an arsenal to start a small war. Of course, I am not at my optimum, considering that I don't have my complete arsenal, but I can still fight. No point using my best weapon anyway, regardless of whether I have the means or not. Miyako managed to turn all my weapons into rust anyway, making my Azure Forest technique null and void," Hiroshi replied. " Still, it's not like I lack weapons."

" You sure? If she turns your weapons to rust, then wouldn't most of your weapons be useless?" Sora asked.

Hiroshi responded by taking out a weapon scroll. Biting his lip and spitting on it, he unsealed 2 pairs of puppet arms and 6 bokutos that were wrapped in pieces of paper with seals on them. He attached the two pairs of arms to his sides, with each arm grabbing onto a bokuto each. " Key word here is most."

" You look really odd in that," Sora noted, looking at his 6 arms

" Not as bad as that time where I tried attaching a tail to myself," Hiroshi answered.

" Strangely enough, I agree with you on that," Sora replied. " Battle plan?"

" Back me up and don't go too close," Hiroshi replied.

" What the fuck! ?" Sora exclaimed loudly, hurting Hiroshi's eardrums in the process.

" ...You do know who we are fighting, right?" Hiroshi corrected her.

" ...Oh, right...in that case, fine then," Sora replied.

As Miyako emerged from the rubble, Hiroshi instantly shot towards her, punching his one of his 6 arms towards her, lengthening and extending towards her. Miyako merely moved to the side, easily avoiding the attack, not before pulling out a short yet sharp looking blade from the sleeves of her kimono, moving her hands to strike the puppet arm. In an instant, Hiroshi detached his puppet arm, breaking them into over a hundred pieces. Each small section, the size of a fist, opened up several panels, not before blasting towards them like fireworks, slamming into her small frame. She whipped around, trying to avoid getting him, not before the puppet pieces shattered into a hundred more pieces, each discharging a massive electrical current all around Miyako. Unfortunately, Miyako merely collected all the electrical discharge into her short blade, not before blasting the entire shot towards Hiroshi.

" Seal," Hiroshi replied, spitting something out of her mouth. A small paper talisman popped out from his mouth, and the lightning bolt that Miyako redirected to Hiroshi struk it, not before it started to absorb the lightning blast, not before dropping harmlessly onto the floor.

" Supersonic Palm Strike: Range Style!" Sora exclaimed, charging a collection of sonic energy inside of her fist, not before punching her arm towards Miyako, releasing the charge towards her. Miyako merely raised her hands, and as the sonic blast hit her, the sonic blast emitted a faint pop, not before being neutralised as Miyako sent out another sonic boom to neutralise it. " The hell is this bullshit? She can cancel attacks!"

" From what I observe, ninjutsu based attacks," Hiroshi noted.

" God damn it!" Sora screamed.

Hiroshi fired one of his arms towards her, which Miyako effortlessly avoided. However, the moment she dodged the attack, Hiroshi sent a pulse of chakra through the puppet strings, opening the flaps of his puppet arm. Unsealing all the weapons at once, he fired a torrent of weapons towards her. The moment it happened, Miyako set up a barrier, blocking all the weapons on striking her.

" Gotcha now!" Sora exclaimed, firing herself towards Miyako, not before slamming her hands onto the barrier. Miyako casually raised her hand to block the blow, neutralising the hit, but her barrier shattered all the same, even before Sora even made contact with it.

" What?" Miyako exclaimed.

Two long tendrils shot out from below her, wrapping themselves around her legs. Hiroshi dropped two sections of his segmented arms earlier into the ground, charged with barrier breaking capabilities. The barrier now gone, the weapons were free to rain down on Miyako and Sora, cutting Miyako in several places. Miyako quickly noted that Sora was being struck also, but the weapons would shatter into pieces, falling harmlessly onto the ground when that happened.

" A sonic-based barrier, huh?" Miyako mused, not before setting one up herself, only to still be struck by Hiroshi's weapons.

" Silly girl, we saw that coming!" Sora exclaimed, grabbing Miyako roughly and giving her a kick to the abdomen. Miyako quickly blocked the attack and slammed her hand to the ground, not before exploding the area she was standing on. Sora barely managed to catch her in the act and backed up before the explosion managed to hit her. " Damn bitch!"

Sensing something behind her, Sora spun around to see Miyako shooting towards her from behind, only to have Hiroshi block her attack. The moment he did that, all his puppet arms were smashed to pieces, Miyako taking them out in a hurry. She sent a kick to his chest, sending him flying, only to have Sora catch him.

" Well, that was dumb. You know you suck at melee anyway," Sora groaned.

" I was testing something," Hiroshi replied.

" Testing?"

" That attack she pulled. She easily destroyed my arms with such ease. If she really wanted to, she could have gone for my head first," Hiroshi replied. " She's conflicted. She honestly doesn't want to kill me."

" Sure, great way to put yourself at risk to find out whether someone wants to kill you or not," Sora mused, while more puppet arms emerged to replace the one that were damaged. " Ready for round two? What's the plan?"

" Miyako can't read anything she cannot see, also despite her analysing ability, even if she can see the attack coming, it doesn't mean she can block or dodge it all the same," Hiroshi replied. " She may have abnormal senses, but if she can block, let's say two attacks at a time, a third simultaneous attack will still hit."

" A barrage, huh?" Sora mused.

" More specifically, a barrage that she cannot see coming," Hiroshi replied.

As Miyako turned to face them, one of the puppet compartments on Hiroshi's arm opened up and shot out a metal cartridge, which fired several senbon needles at rapid speeds towards Miyako. Miyako avoided the attack easily enough, and almost instinctively knew that there was going to be a follow up attack. The moment Hiroshi's needles flew past her, their exterior metal shell broke apart, splitting into two, not before releasing several paper seals inside, which fired back more senbons in the direction where it came, back towards Miyako's back. She did a quick twist, and easily avoided the attack.

" You will have to try harder than that," Miyako replied.

ooo

Miyako tried to focus. Her combat time was running short. She could easily push herself past her limits, but she didn't want to. It somehow irritated her that she was being bested by this annoying Leaf puppeteer, to the point where she had to go all out. Some part of her was annoyed, yet another part was confused.

_Why am I feeling so conflicted? And…why is he trying to help? If conflicts could be so easily solved…_Miyako thought to herself. _Why am I angry? Is some part of me rejecting this? …Is this why I can't seem to win, or don't want to?_

Miyako looked at them. Her vision was now clouded in this strange yellowish blue hue, which happens when she activates her ability. Her brain is now taking in as much information as it could, analysing and processing all the data. The visual feed from her eyes was now giving her something of a processed visual, so she was seeing things move in slow motion. This, coupled with her analysing capabilities, allowed her to process what jutsu was coming her way, and this allowed her to counter-act accordingly.

Unlike a number of doujutsus, Miyako's bloodline ability does not allow her to read chakra readings. Her analytical ability and fast comprehension allowed her to sense or understand chakra readings, but not to the in-depth level some doujutsu users possess. So while most doujutus bloodline users can detect chakra, she can only detect chakra on the visible spectrum. Hiroshi's weapons had a lot of hidden mechanisms, most which were not chakra based, or barely chakra based, but more kinetical. His limited her ability to react to him quickly.

Hiroshi and Sora reacted at once, with Hiroshi using the same attack again, firing out a cartridge and firing senbon needles towards her. Sora sped off towards his right. Miyako could see what she was trying to attempt. She was moving at super-sonic speeds now, attempting to divert her attention. Fortunately, she could see Sora move in slow motion, so while she is travelling very fast, her eyes were not tricked by the after images that Sora was creating that would normally affect normal people.

She moved towards the side again, noticing that the senbon was the exact same type he used previously, which meant that it would fire at her once it passed her. She moved aside, avoiding the attack, and predictably, did a quick side-step to avoid another attack as the senbon shot back again from behind her. Unfortunately, a second later, she felt a sting on her shoulder, and found a senbon needle stuck on her shoulder.

_What?_ She thought to herself. _A delayed attack?_

Sora landed herself right in front of her, her fists now charged with sonic energy. Throwing a punch forward, she fired a massive sonic blast towards Miyako. Miyako casually flipped a few hand seals and raised her palm, absorbing the blow, not before rebounding the blast back to Sora. Sora crossed her arms and braced for the blow that struck her, sending her skidding backwards slightly.

Miyako realised something was wrong. Sora could have easily avoided the attack, but she decided not to, for seemingly no good reason. A second later she realised what was up. Sora was standing directly in front of her, and she was blocking Hiroshi from her view by standing in-between them. Miyako moved aside to get Hiroshi back in her line of sight, only to see him some distance away, having smashed to of his puppet arms deep into the ground.

Alarmed, she instantly shot into the air, only to find that nothing came after her from the ground. Realising it was a feint, she turned her attention towards Hiroshi once more, who broke off one of his arms, which shattered into a hundred pieces, not before breaking multiple seals and ejecting large mechanical sections off his arm. Using his puppet strings, he attaced them together, and to Miyako's surprise, it formed what looked like a large cannon that was now attached to his shoulders, with massive props to hold its weight since the sheer size and mass would smash Hiroshi to a pulp easily.

There was a loud blast, and Hiroshi fired a large round cannonball towards her. Miyako whipped her hands, and the cannonball was sliced into half even before it was halfway towards its intended destination. Within the cannon ball, another hundred large steel balls flew towards her.

However, all of a sudden, she felt a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around her. Sora managed to sneak close enough while she was distracted and caught her. " Well, let's see you handle this!" Sora exclaimed, not before kicking her legs upwards, shooting out a burst of sonic blasts. This propelled her downwards like a rocket, the wind buffeting against their faces, with Sora having the full intention of smashing her down hard on the ground.

Sora felt a surge of chakra within Miyako, and at the precise moment they hit the ground, Miyako extended her arms and used it to stop the fall, her hands smashing through the solid ground, managing to avoid any damage through sheer force alone.

" …Damn!" Sora muttered.

" Get off my back!" Miyako exclaimed, elbowing her in the face. The amount of force applied threw Sora backwards, causing her to fly back and hit the ground rolling. Jumping back to her feet, she saw a massive puppet wall fly towards her face. Miyako raised her hand and stopped its advance the moment the wall touched her hands. Sending a burst of chakra into her hands, she blasted a hole in the wall effortlessly, seeing Hiroshi at the distance.

She stooped her body low, not before getting off to a running start, dashing towards him. Hiroshi merely smiled, not before opening his arms wide, as if to catch her. Sensing something amiss, she skidded to a halt. The moment she did that, a long puppet arm shot out from the ground, not before slicing at her with its sharp tendril, cutting her cheek slightly. She merely angrily smashed the puppet aside, breaking it into little pieces.

" Your methods are useless," Miyako replied, glaring at him.

" Hardly, I've already won," Hiroshi replied.

" What?" Miyako exclaimed, not before seeing her vision flash oddly before her eyes. " …Poison?"

" Not exactly. It's actually a sensory enhancing drug," Hiroshi replied.

The moment she heard his explanation, Miyako instantly shut down her bloodline ability, her eye colour reverting back to their original colour. " I guessed right. You are already overloading your eyes with energy. Any type of drug enhancement to it will cause it to overload, and potentially hurt yourself," Hiroshi replied, smiling.

" Hold up, since when were you packing that stuff?" Sora asked from the distance.

There was an odd silence between them.

" …That moron…" Hiroshi groaned.

" You lied!" Miyako exclaimed, her eyes reverting back to their fierce shining blue colour. However, the moment she did so, her vision got very blurry, and she started to lose her footing. The next thing she knew, she heard the words 'I didn't, Sora did', not before something hard struck her on her head, and she blacked out.

ooo

When Miyako came to, she found herself wrapped in chains. She attempted to pull herself free, but the chains were too hard and heavy. When she tried to enhance her strength using chakra, she found that it wasn't working at all.

" Don't bother, these chains are special," Hiroshi replied, walking in front of her. " God of Earth. They absorb your chakra if you attempt to channel it, rendering you unable to do anything, and send the chakra to the ground to disperse it. I've used enough chains that you will need a force of 100 tonnes to break free, and you definitely cannot do that without any chakra enhancements."

Miyako looked at the chains holding her in place, and then she started laughing. " My, this is indeed interesting. Looks like I am caught. Fine, what do you want to do with me?" Miyako asked.

" I figured that I have already made that clear," Hiroshi replied.

" Why are you bothering with me so much?" Miyako asked. " What is it to you anyway? You think playing nice will get you anywhere, or perhaps atone for something?"

" Hardly," Hiroshi answered.

" Then why?" Miyako asked.

" Something struck me the moment we first met. It was then when I felt that it was enjoyable being around with you. No doubt you were under orders to possibly scout me out, but I enjoyed just hanging out with you. I couldn't accept you as an enemy since then, and I don't think I want to," Hiroshi replied.

" …You are one strange man," Miyako noted.

" I have been told," Hiroshi responded.

" You'll die one day because of your naiveté," Miyako replied.

" Then I will die a happy man," Hiroshi answered.

" Convincing you is equivalent to convincing a brick to become soft," Miyako replied. " Go do what you came here to finish."

" I will," Hiroshi replied, not before tapping the chains that held Miyako in place twice. The moment he did that, the chains retracted themselves from Miyako, returning to their original point back in the ground. " Do whatever you want from here on out. I, too, cannot change your mind if you don't want to. But I can guarantee this, if it's a place to belong you are looking for, I have one for you. You can drop by anytime."

"…Urm, is it safe to free her?" Sora asked as she followed Hiroshi as Miyako merely sat at where she was in a bored manner.

" It's alright. You know as well as I do that if she wanted to take us out, we wouldn't stand a chance," Hiroshi replied, as they both continued on their way.


	49. Chapter 48: The Final Face

**Chapter 48: The Final Face**

" Ora!" Sora exclaimed as she burst through the warehouse's door and appeared on the docks of the town. The metal door broke apart, breaking apart from their hinges and sent flying over a couple of meters. She haughtily strutted out onto the dock, although it was now mostly empty. " Alrighty, where is that bitch?"

" Do you mind not dealing so much property damage? The fact that you can does not mean that you should," Hiroshi replied.

" I need to make my entrance," Sora replied. " Dramatic and explosive!"

" Who the hell is watching?" Hiroshi exclaimed loudly.

" I am," a voice replied.

Standing in the middle of the dock was Fumino Naoto herself, grinning as she crossed her arms while greeting them. She was dressed in standard Blood-nin kunoichi attire, although her forehead protector is nowhere to be seen. She had this impish face and a roguish smile, along with flaming, spiky red hair to almost match her rather tomboyish personality. Hiroshi could be sure, but he somehow felt that she was having a lot of fun.

" Nice, you guys made it. How good of you to join the party," Naoto replied.

" Huh? When I heard that she was Juuzou's mistress, I expected someone useless," Sora replied.

" Sora, the more correct term is older," Hiroshi replied. " Let me confirm: you are Fumino Naoto, correct?"

" Indeed I am. Is there something wrong?" Naoto asked.

" You are…younger than us," Hiroshi replied. It was somewhat annoying to see the mastermind behind all their troubles since they started out as genins stemmed from a girl that looked like she was 17, which would be grating, since this meant she had been messing around with them since she was 10. The idea of them being fucked around by a 10 year old kid was just degrading. " …I was expecting someone older."

" Bwahahaha, why? Can't stand a kid beating you? Our ages aren't that far apart, you know?" Naoto replied, laughing as she spoke. " Or you prefer the look of someone older?"

There was a burst of smoke, and Naoto appeared as herself, except only much visibly older than her 17 year old self. Her hair was much longer now, and she was no longer dressed in her kunoichi uniform, but a very skimpy looking dress which showed off her assets, which are apparently way larger compared to her younger self.

" Honestly, I prefer girls with smaller breasts," Hiroshi replied. " Well, this would explain why Juuzou would take someone old enough to be his kid as a mistress."

" You all were pretty good to manage to get into Juuzou's office, not to mention actually breaking through the village. Bravo, bravo indeed," Naoto replied, clapping her hands as she turned back to her original self. " You sure have more balls than brains, even the girls in your group. Well, since you are here, I hope you will entertain me."

" Entertain you?" Hiroshi mused.

" You are here to fight me, correct? Then bring it on. I've been waiting for years for someone good enough to take me on," Naoto replied.

" …I am suddenly reminded of a certain someone," Hiroshi replied, sarcastically, while Sora angrily slapped his head. " This doesn't make any sense. Are you telling me you actually brought forth this organisation, just to pick a fight?"

" Of course. Why else would I do so? I do not need money, nor do I need fame. My village could prosper till the end of time for all I care. Call me messed up, but all I care is for my own entertainment. I find that I can entertain myself in two ways: watch the world burn, and have someone beat me in a fight! You all came to stop me, right? ! Organising a criminal organisation is bound to get me some enemies," Naoto exclaimed. " Don't disappoint me!"

Without waiting, Naoto rushed towards them, and in an instant, placed herself between Hiroshi and Sora. Before they could react, she slapped their faces, knocking them aside. Hiroshi stumbled to the side, and when he looked back, he saw Naoto right in front of him, grinning creepily at him.

" Come on, Azure Forest! Is this the best you can do?" Naoto taunted him.

Grabbing him by his attire, she tossed him upwards, not before sending a punch towards his direction. Something solid slammed into his stomach, and Hiroshi coughed out blood as he was sent upwards into the sky. _What the hell? She's crazy and powerful!_ Hiroshi thought, his brain dizzy from the impact of the hit.

" Look here, bitch!"

Naoto looked behind her, only to find Sora missing. She brought her arm towards the side of her face to block a kick by Sora, who whipped out of nowhere in front of her. Sora threw multiple jabs at Naoto, which she effortlessly avoided, Sora feeling as though her fists were phasing through thin air. Taking a step backwards, Sora charged a massive amount of sonic energy into her fists, not before shooting it straight for Naoto. Naoto merely countered by throwing a punch to match hers, the resulting strike sending out a powerful shockwave when both fists connected.

" What?" Sora exclaimed.

" Is this the extent of the Sonic Fang? I am highly disappointed!" Naoto yelled.

Before Sora could react, Naoto used her free hand and slammed her palm onto Sora's chest, and even though it was not infused with any sonic energy, Sora felt that it packed more force than it did with her sonic infused attacks. She was launched backwards, smashing into the sea, making a huge splash as she did so. A second splash occurred right next to her as Hiroshi landed in the ocean after falling down from being hit in the air.

A couple of seconds later, Sora came scrambling up the side of a pier, pulling Hiroshi along as well, who looked hurt and out of breath. Both of them were panting for breath, not to mention being dripping wet as well. Naoto merely grinned at them, as if she was having the time of her life.

" Cockballs, that dipshit is going to get it from me," Sora replied, getting up while pulling the bandages around her fists apart, tossing them aside. " Fuck protection, I'm going all out against her, Hiroshi! If she thinks she can usurp the throne of the bitch who can pack the biggest punch, she is in for a real lesson!"

" Was my intention in the first place," Hiroshi replied. " Since if you are going all out, care to use your weapon?"

" Damn right! It's time to bring out the big guns!" Sora exclaimed.

Pulling out a weapon scroll, Sora bit her finger and drew blood on it, not before unsealing her weapon. Naoto raised her eyebrows when she saw what looked like 3 large steel balls the size of bowling balls being taken out. Tossing one in the air, Sora pulled her arm back, not before punching the ball the moment it fell back to the level of her face.

The steel ball shot towards Naoto in a flash, barely grazing her but the force of the shockwave that it emitted almost throwing her off her feet. The steel ball smashed through a nearby warehouse, blowing it to bits the moment it smashed through its interior, dropping the entire building to the ground.

" …And I thought breaking a door was bad," Hiroshi replied, wincing as the building fell apart.

Naoto looked very pleased with Sora's new weapons. " Hahaha, yes, that's it. Those look awesome! What are they?"

" My balls!" Sora exclaimed. " Fly, my Sonic Fangs!"

Sora tossed the remaining two into the air, not before punching them, and as expected, they burst forth with the same speed as the previous one. Naota was about to avoid them, when she noticed that Sora seemed to fire them away from her, one trailing high towards her right, while the other flew far left, smashing through another building. However, the Fangs managed to change direction, seemingly without any external influence, not before rocketing themselves back towards Naoto, speeding towards her, one high above from her right, while the other directly on her left at the 9 o'clock direction.

Naoto backed up in an instant, causing the Fangs to collide into one another with a resounding crash. However, the moment they connected, they changed direction once more, both of them firing themselves towards Naoto from the front. Naoto tried to divert them with her arms, smashing her fists towards the side of the Fangs to move them aside. She managed to divert their direction slightly instead of allowing them to slam into her chest, while suffering from some damage to her fists from punching a sonic energised ball. No sooner did she do that when the third ball, the one Sora fired first into the warehouse, slammed into her back. Naoto managed to minimise the damage by twisting her body aside so that the Fang didn't strike her back directly, but she was unceremoniously tossed aside, crashing into the ground as the sonic charged Fang blew her aside.

" Well, it'd be easy if that were it, but things usually don't go they easy way, don't they?" Sora mused as the three Fangs flew back towards her, and she quickly disabled them by tapping them lightly just as they were about to fly past her face, falling down to the ground on the wooden dock harmlessly. " You set, Hiroshi?"

Hiroshi detached some chakra strings that were submerged in the water, letting them sink into the watery depths. " My stuff is set. Let's do this, partner," Hiroshi replied, taking out his weapon and puppet scrolls.

" Alright! Let's go!" Sora exclaimed. " Fangs, fly!"

Sora punched her Fangs once more, all three of them blasting off towards different directions, ricocheting in multiple directions as if hitting invisible walls. Hiroshi pulled out his Ash Saber and a short thin blade in both his arms. Sweeping his Ash Saber towards where Naoto lay, he sent an explosion to where she was lying, only to have her leap up miraculously the moment the blast detonated, leaving her unscathered.

" Tch, I knew it would be too easy," Sora exclaimed. " Now!"

Hiroshi drew his arm back, and swung the arm that had the short blade towards Naoto's direction. All of a sudden, a very long, thin wind blade erupted from the tip of the blade, stretching out to impossible lengths, reaching almost 50 meters in length. The thin wing blade whipped across the field, cutting apart anything that stood in its path, from wooden crates to metal poles. Naoto dropped low, and so did Sora, in order to dodge the attack, the wind blade barely passing past her head as she lowered her body.

She instantly jumped upwards as a Fang popped out of nowhere, striking the spot where she stood a mere second ago. With a burst of speed, Sora launched herself towards Naoto while she was in mid-air, her hands curled up and ready to deliver a solid blow to her face. Naoto prepared herself for the attack as Sora launched herself towards her, only to see a Fang fly in-between them both.

Using the Fang as a launching pad, Sora placed a foot on it and jumped upwards, while the Fang shot towards Naoto the moment Sora's foot left it, emitting a loud sonic boom as it did so. Naoto slammed both her palms on the Fang with such force that it rebounded at the exact same speed in the opposite direction. Once the current danger was gone, she looked upwards to where Sora was, only to find her missing.

Something grabbed her shoulder from behind, and spinning her body around, she spotted Sora directly behind her, grinning as she had a fist pulled back, ready to smash it into her. " Three balls, bitch, I can change my direction three times. Didn't you consider that?" Sora taunted her, not before throwing a punch into her gut. " Supersonic Palm Strike!"

Sora had trained herself to increase the damage output of her attacks way beyond the normal threshold point, so even now using it normally without some restraining device would hurt her. Her destructive sonic abilities could pass through any solid object, dealing insane amounts of damage to anything living once it made contact. Sora's charged fist connected with Naoto's gut, and taking the full force of the damage, punched her body until it was sent flying towards the ocean, the resounding force of her body hitting the water resulted in a massive blast that resulted in large amounts of water showering all over Sora and Hiroshi.

" Is it over? I didn't even have to use my other tricks," Hiroshi replied.

" No, something seems off," Sora replied, opening and closing her fists, as if doubting herself somehow.

" Don't mean to be disrespectful, but you are the toughest person I know alive, and a full-powered, point-blank, direct hit from your Supersonic Palm Strike has enough force to kill you three times over," Hiroshi replied. " So, unless she countered it, or you missed, she couldn't have survived that."

" There is a third explanation, actually," a voice replied.

Both of them turned around to see Miyako casually walking towards them, apparently having gotten over her funk. Once again, she looked like her cool and collected self, smirking at them even.

" That is, that she took the damage, but it will take more killing force than that to kill her," Miyako answered.

" Well, that was an option, but it was a bit too far-fetched for a guess," Hiroshi muttered.

" You need to land another two punches like those to at least disable her," Miyako answered honestly.

" Well, shit. I'm not sure if I believe in God now, considering there is a living being that that withstand an attack that would kill Sora 10 times, considering Sora is already ridiculously difficult to kill, or die for that matter," Hiroshi mused.

" Naoto carried out experiments on her body, changing the very nature of it. She still functions as a human, but I wouldn't call it 'normal' in the general sense. Her body has been altered to take in damage way beyond the human threshold, and her metabolism allows her to neutralise poisons and adverse drugs or substances, or at the very least, withstand their effects. Something like creating a superhuman bio-shinobi," Miyako explained.

" Heh, all the information is nice and all, but pray tell me why are you telling them this?" Naoto asked as she climbed out of the water, dripping wet like Hiroshi and Sora.

" Huh, I thought I was being obvious enough. I'm defecting," Miyako replied proudly.

" That's right…wait, what?" Sora exclaimed.

" Miyako?" Hiroshi mused.

" It's fine, Hiroshi. You win, and you are right. I don't really fancy this life, and if anything, I'd like to just ignore all this bullshit that surrounds me. For that, I'm defecting, and I'll help you defeat Naoto," Miyako replied. " You are going to need all the help you can get."

" Bah, if I need to minimally punch her two more times, then it shouldn't be that much of a problem," Sora replied, bracing herself to attack Naoto.

" Sora, do you know the extent of my capabilities?" Miyako asked.

" …Urm…what?" Sora asked.

" You know the extent of my abilities, since I could single-handedly trash your entire group, along with your friends, with my sheer abilities, skill, and my bloodline limit," Miyako replied. " My first reason for being here is because I figured I had nowhere else to go. The second reason here is because I cannot beat Naoto in a straight up fight. Analysing her results in a 0% chance for victory, at my current levels."

Sora and Hiroshi looked at Naoto, who was just casually smiling away at them. Hiroshi could only beat Miyako due to his gimmick attacks and his unpredictability. Besides that, Miyako overpowered his entire team. If Miyako states that Naoto was way more powerful than herself alone, suddenly realising that they were taking her on with just themselves, and with Hiroshi not at full power, seemed a little foolish at hindsight.

" Fuck that shit, she's going down whether she likes it or not," Sora exclaimed. " How much is that chance of victory now that you are with us?"

" …8%," Miyako replied.

" Sounds like good odds to me!" Sora exclaimed, not before rushing towards Naoto.

" We need to overwhelm her. She may overpower each of us in terms of sheer ability and strength, but the three of us can break apart her strength if we all attack together," Miyako replied, taking out three kunais in each hand, following Sora's lead and charging towards her as well.

It was basic shinobi tactics. Even if faced with an overwhelming enemy, it was still possible to fight a skilled opponent by using numbers. Of course, this tactic was useless if the power gap was too large, like having two genins facing an elite jounin isn't much of a difference compared to one genin. Timing was key here. If Naoto was as powerful as Miyako indicated she was, then they would need every ounce of advantage they can possibly squeeze out of this fight.

Sora launched her Sonic Fangs once more, and they started to speed all over the place. The Fangs started to burst all over the place, moving at breakneck speeds, making them difficult to follow. Naoto took quick steps to dodge the Fangs as they swept by her, only to have them circle around and attack her from another direction. Miyako activated her ability to observe how the Fangs were working.

At first, the bouncing Fangs seemed to be moving around as if they were guided, but on closer inspection, it seemed like it wasn't the case. The fangs were emitting sonic bursts, which allowed them to accelerate in the air. Sora obviously charged them with sonic energy, and from the movements, she deduced that the Fangs actually changed directions from pre-inputted chakra signatures, which Sora probably supplied prior to launching them. She then gave the illusion that they were guided by sending out sonic bursts, which when connecting with the Sonic Fangs, charged them with more sonic energy and a new chakra signature to guide them towards new directions. So, while the Fangs had a pre-set path, Sora was regularly sending them constant sonic bursts to keep them moving, at least one burst after 4-5 directional changes. Of course, the sonic bursts emitted was invisible, except Miyako and possibly Sora could see or sense them.

" Interesting weapons, and she's good," Miyako noted.

" Sora was strangely good at maths, who knew?" Hiroshi replied.

" We need to capitalise on Sora's destructive ability. Using normal means to destroy Naoto will take too long. If she can connect two more hits using her Supersonic Palm Strike or an equivalent attack, Naoto will go down," Miyako replied.

Naoto barely dodged a Fang, not before charging towards Sora. Another dropped between them and fired itself towards Naoto. Just at the last moment, before the round weapon smashed into her face, Naoto dodged the attack the ball barely making past the left side of her face, not before sending herself towards Sora. Sora decided to accept the challenge, and continued towards her, only to have Naoto stop her advance and leap out of the way as several explosive notes flew between them. They blew up in front of her, but not before she managed to get to a safe distance. Sora threw several sonic punches towards the smoking crater from where the explosion came from, but Naoto managed to sense and dodge them, weaving up and down through the blasts, not before moving backwards to gain some room to move.

Miyako threw her kunais, all of them moving towards directions away from Naoto. Once done, Miyako drew out another 6 kunais and flung them towards the first 6 she threw earlier, and the moment the made contact, changed direction and headed towards Naoto. Naoto whipped out a kunai of her own, and making large sweeping motions with her hands, knocked all the kunais Miyako threw at her aside. The moment she did that, Miyako formed her hands seals, not before slamming her palms on the ground.

" Earth Release: Ground Crushing Slam!"

Two large square slabs of earth formed next to where Naoto stood, not before spring upwards, sandwiching her between the two solid masses. It would have crushed her, if Naoto had not spread out her arms, her fists making contact with the earth slabs, only to break apart as they made contact. However, as the rubble dropped around her, Sora showed up in front of her, readying herself to land a good blow.

" I'm here!" Sora exclaimed, throwing a punch towards Naoto's chest.

Naoto countered her attack by quickly withdrawing her arms and crushing Sora's forearm with her fists. Sora winced as her solid fists sandwiched her forearm, placing a lot of force and pressure on her muscle and bones. Before she could deal any more damage and snap her forearm in half, Hiroshi rushed up towards her, bringing a blade infused with his wind element towards her neck. Naoto released her grip and dropped backwards, the blade passing right above her face as Hiroshi missed his mark. However, as she dropped herself, Hiroshi extended his free hand towards her, firing his chakra strings from the tip of his fingers towards her, attaching themselves all over her body.

" Think you can hold me down with this?" Naoto taunted him.

" Hold you down? I wouldn't think of it," Hiroshi replied.

His fist broke apart from his arm, not before bursting towards her like a rocket. Naoto raised her hand to block the on-coming puppet fist, only to get struck in the face with a Sonic Fang. The strike smashed her body to the ground, the force causing cracks in the ground. _Wait, I took notice of where the Fangs were flying. None of them were heading towards my direction…_Naoto thought to herself.

A figure appeared to her right, and to her surprise, Miyako took a deep breath and started to breath fire on Naoto. Spinning around, the fire barely managed to warm her back, although the heat being emitted was intense. _Wait, Miyako changed the direction of one of the Fangs?_

" Have you forgotten? I can easily read attacks," Miyako replied.

" Don't steal my weapons, you little runt!" Sora roared at her.

Bouncing on her feet, she threw herself at Hiroshi, who was fixing another fist onto the missing part on his puppet arm. Being a puppeteer, he was weaker in close-combat, and Naoto decided to take advantage of this. Since Sora and Miyako were both directly behind her, she had a good few seconds to deal with Hiroshi. The fact that he had to come so close to save Sora meant that he was already out of puppets and running low on any long range weapons.

Seeing Naoto moving towards him, Hiroshi tried to back up, but Naoto was way faster than he was. Clenching his left fist, spikes emerged all around the puppet fist, and Hiroshi threw a strike towards Naoto. Naoto casually slammed her fists into his spiked fists, the impact of her strike crushing his puppet fists entirely, the sharp spikes not bothering her at the very least. Grabbing the remains of his arm, she pulled him closer towards her and flicked out a kunai, not before stabbing him in the gut. Hiroshi felt the sting, not before coughing out blood as the blade sunk deep into his stomach.

" Hiroshi!" Miyako and Sora exclaimed in alarm.

" Using puppet arms are convenient, but they rob you of your sense of touch and pain, potent indicators in a straight up fight," Naoto replied.

" No shit, I already know that," Hiroshi replied. " What you don't know is that you are in my fucking strike range!"

" What?"

Hiroshi quickly raised his free right arm, blasting the fist of his arm apart, breaking it to bits. Calling out his puppet parts, he quickly replaced it with what looked like a large 4 fingered grappling claw. Naoto wasn't sure what it was supposed to do when a Fang flew their way, and Hiroshi caught the Fang with the claw on his puppet arm, the large ball fitting nicely in his claw, almost as if he had already custom fit the weapon to attach itself on his puppet arm.

" Shit!" Naoto exclaimed.

" Sora, I'll be borrowing this!" Hiroshi exclaimed. " Supersonic Palm Strike!"

Hiroshi shot his arm, which now resembled something like a large boxing glove, towards Naoto's chest. Normally his attacks would be slower, but thanks to the sonic energy us was using which was supplied by Sora in the Fang, his arm fired the Fang at point blank range at the same speed Sora's punches normally connect. Naoto tried to block the attack, but Hiroshi's punch was faster than her reaction, and it slipped by her guard and slammed hard into her gut. The resulting impact was so explosive that the shock shattered Hiroshi's puppet arm to shreds.

Unfortunately, the damage arm wasn't all that he managed to sustain. Sora's techniques were highly damaging, and it was with intense training she was able to minimise the damage. Hiroshi, having no training prior to this, was susceptible to the rebound damage the attack caused. The damage not only broke his arm, but also travelled into his body, and he coughed out more blood as the shockwave affected his internal organs. He dropped to his knees before hitting the ground, his body stinging with pain.

" Ouch!" he groaned.

His attack was successful, and Naoto grimaced in pain as she flew backwards. She tried to catch herself, pressing her legs on the ground to prevent herself from flying further backwards, only to find that Miyako managed to catch her during the attack, jumping onto her back and pinning her arms. Sora was quick to follow up by attacking Naoto, punching her in the gut, causing her to double over.

" This is it! Supersonic Palm Strike!"

Miyako jumped out of the way, since the resulting attack was most likely going to kill her even if it passed through Naoto's body first. Sora's fists connected with Naoto's body, and she maximised the damage by pushing as much sonic energy she could through her body. There was a resulting bang as her fists connected with the body, and Naoto coughed out blood as a result.

" It's the end, bitch!" Sora replied.

However, much to her susprise, Naoto grabbed her tightly on her shoulders, not before springing back to life, slamming her forehead hard on Sora's. Sora was struck dizzy from the blow. Just as she headbutted Sora, she spit something from her mouth, which struck Sora in her face, more specifically her eyes. " Grah, what the fuck? How dare you spit on my face?" Sora exclaimed, trying to rub off whatever that has landed on her face. " Eh? What the hell?"

Sora was unable to see anything. Whatever Naoto spat out of her mouth had now hardened on her face, like cement, and it was obscuring her view entirely. She tried to scratch it, but it felt like it had fused wither her face. Unable to see, she was unable to block Naoto as she came charging towards her, kicking her in the chest to send her flying, Miyako catching her to prevent her from falling into the ocean.

" Hey, what the hell man? We struck her twice, like you said. She's not affected even a little bit," Sora exclaimed.

" She rebounded the attack when Hiroshi struck," Miyako exclaimed.

" What?" Hiroshi exclaimed.

" I could see the attack. When she took the attack, she used a technique to rebound the attack back to you. Since your puppet arm was going to get destroyed as long as the attack connected, you probably didn't suspect a thing," Miyako replied.

" It was a good technique, incorporating Sora's abilities and using your puppet arm to mimic her attacks," Naoto replied. " But as I said, replacing your arm with a puppet makes you lose your sense of touch. You didn't realise I rebounded the attack at all, not to mention it was a double-edged technique."

" God damn it…" Hiroshi groaned.

Naoto moved towards them, but Miyako quickly placed Sora on the ground and launched herself at Naoto. Naoto almost effortlessly caught Miyako by the neck, even though Hiroshi saw her move at flash like speeds, Naoto caught her easily, almost as if she could see her attack coming.

" Your Body Flicker technique has a nice touch, but you are a little too predictable, and I can read your attacks, even if I do not have your blood line ability," Naoto replied. " You are usually more logical than this. You only stood a chance when you had both of them. Now they are disabled, you are not likely to win, aren't you?"

Miyako merely struggled, her hands attempting to pry the vice-like grip on her neck, while her leg continued to kick Naoto in her chest. " Guess you aren't on my side anymore? Too bad," Naoto replied coldly as she tightened her grip on Miyako's neck. Miyako's struggles became more violent as she was unable to breathe now, but her main concern wasn't breathing, since Naoto was exerting enough force to snap her neck.

" Miyako!" Hiroshi exclaimed in horror. " Sora, do it!"

" Do what?" she exclaimed, still attempting to pry apart what was blocking her sight, but to no avail.

" You know what I need," Hiroshi exclaimed, getting to his feet and rushing towards Hiroshi.

" Oi, you piece of shit, you want to die to badly?" Sora exclaimed, realising what he was up to. " Hiroshi? Oi, Hiroshi! Fuck!"

" What's this? Still not giving up?" Naoto mused as she saw Hiroshi running towards her, grinning madly at him with anticipation. " You won't be able to make it to me before I break her neck!"

" Try it!" Hiroshi exclaimed, as Naoto's eyes widened as a Fang flew towards Hiroshi, attaching itself to his other puppet arm just like before. Before she could react, Hiroshi threw a punch at her, the sonic attack helping him increase his speed. The attack connected, and as per usual, his puppet arm shattered to bits, not before his body sustained more damaged as he only managed to push Naoto back by several meters.

" Hiroshi!" Miyako exclaimed, catching his body as he fell back onto the ground, having lost both his puppet arms and in a lot of pain, not to mention coughing out more blood.

" You got some kind of a big brother complex or some shit?" Sora exclaimed.

" Hahaha, not bad, having some level of fight despite being so critically injured," Naoto replied, not before rushing towards Hiroshi, only to slam into something solid that prevented her from striking him. Taking a step back, she observed a transparent blue sphere that covered Hiroshi, Miyako and Sora. " What's this?"

" A barrier. I had one install beneath the ground, just in case we need it," Hiroshi replied, wincing slightly as Naoto slammed her fists on the barrier, only to be stopped short of if defensive capabilities. " Looks like it can hold you back huh?"

" Hmph, think this can hold me back?" Naoto asked.

" No, but at least it will give us some time to come up with some strategy," Hiroshi replied, not before reeling over in pain, coughing out more blood.

" Hiroshi! Your insides are a bit messed up. Suzumi needs to patch you up, or you might be in serious trouble. You can't fight anymore. If Naoto so much as hits you one more time, you will die," Miyako replied.

" Well shit, you are almost dead, I'm blind, and Miyako can't do jack shit against Naoto," Sora replied. " What's plan B?"

" …You still intend to fight Naoto?" Miyako asked.

" Of course. I'll stop when I'm dead," Sora replied.

Hiroshi noticed Miyako break into a smile, as if Sora had just given her the perfect idea. " If that's the spirit, then all is well. Lend me your ear, cos I have a tactic to bring Naoto down," Miyako replied.


	50. Chapter 49: Dark Knight Takeshi

**Chapter 49: Dark Knight Takeshi**

" How are things on our side?" Takeshi asked.

" We are pushing them back. I believe some of our allies have managed to reach the dock area and are engaging Naoto now. Apparently she has a significant amount of combat skills as a shinobi, something we managed to miss about her. Looks like they might be having trouble with her," Kagura asked. " Should we back them up?"

" We'll be hard pressed to do that in present company," Takeshi commented.

Kagura looked around to observe that they had company, three people to be exact. From the way they carried themselves, they looked dangerous, no doubt shinobis of high caliber. There was no mistake that they had run into the Void Hunters. Two of them were male while the other was a kunoichi. The sinewy looking one was probably the taijutsu expert Yashamaru, while the faint hum of insects indicated the other male was probably Haji. The remaining kunoichi was most likely Tsubaki, from Ryouta's previous description of her.

" Hey, what's this? The Sand and Leaf are having a joint operation along with the Cloud-nins to take us down? I'm not sure whether to be worried or pleased with myself," Tsubaki replied, smirking at them.

" Don't worry, you won't be smirking for too long," Takeshi replied coolly.

" Correct me if I am wrong, but there are 3 of us and 2 of you. The numbers are not favouring you at the moment," Yashamaru responded.

" Oh, is that so? Then with my inclusion into the fight, there would be no problems, right?" a voice replied.

" You!" Tsubaki exclaimed angrily as Maya revealed herself, coming forward from her concealed position. " Traitor, are you going against us?"

" Of course, staying here wasn't my long term goal," Maya answered.

She disappeared as Tsubaki instantly jumped to her position, slamming her fist onto the ground, sending up a large cloud of dust as her attack struck the ground, forming a large crater. Tsubaki was snarling menacingly at Maya while she merely looked unfazed at the attack.

" Heh, nice," Maya replied. " Cloud-nins, let me deal with this one." With that, Maya quickly left the area, and Tsubaki quickly chased after her, shouting obscenities as she went after her, both of them disappearing after a few seconds.

" Is it wise?" Yashamru asked.

" What is?" Haji responded.

" Letting her go like this?" Yashamaru replied.

" Well, it's not like we can stop her, really. Anyway, we have more direct problems right in front of us, so why don't we take this one step at a time?" Haji answered, raising his fists to prepare for an attack. Yashamaru did the same as well.

" Looks like a slight problem," Takeshi replied, smirking slightly. " Kagura, go help whoever is at the dock. If they are having problems then they will need all the help they can get."

" What about you?" Kagura asked.

" …Am I the person to ask you to leave me alone if I cannot handle these two flunkies?" Takeshi asked.

Without warning, Kagura rushed forward towards both Haji and Yashamaru. Both of them reacted, trying to intercept her before she could get past them, but all of a sudden, they felt something like static electricity pass through their bodies, practically paralyzing them, allowing Kagura to slip past them, leaving the battlefield behind.

" Relax, you have me to contend with," Takeshi replied confidently.

After the regained their senses after the temporary paralysis, Yashamaru charged towards Takeshi's direction. Just before he managed to reach Takeshi, he performed a Body Flicker technique, instantly moving out of the way just before the swing from Yashamaru's arm managed to strike him. He quickly scanned the area to check where he had gone, and he noticed a shadow right above him.

Takeshi raised his hands, focusing them on Yashamaru. He was completely taken aback when all of a sudden he was pulled towards Takeshi's direction, as if he was drawing him towards him using a vacuum. Clenching his fists, Takeshi threw a powerful punch the moment Yashamaru was in range, sending him straight back down with a powerful crash, breaking the ground the moment he hit it. However, as the dust settled, Yashamaru still managed to get up. He was clutching his stomach in pain, but he looked relatively unharmed by the attack of that magnitude.

" Hmm, not bad. I guess you are tougher than you look," Takeshi replied, dropping back down to the ground almost non-chalantly.

" Man, that hurts. What the hell was that?!" Yashamaru exclaimed.

" Well, you better figure it out quickly, cos it will hurt like hell if you don't!" Takeshi exclaimed, raising his hand towards Yashamaru once more. Again, Takeshi managed to pull him with an invisible force towards his direction. Yashamaru tried to halt his movement by putting as much pressure as he could onto the ground, trying to force himself to the ground. Takeshi merely flicked his hand upward, pushing Yahasmaru just several centimeters off the ground, which was more than enough since Yashamaru continued to fly helplessly towards Takeshi.

Takeshi was quick to notice that Haji was missing, and looking behind him, he managed to spot the bee user moving behind him. Loud buzzing sounds could be heard as several large bees, over the size of 6 inches, crawled out from within Haji's sleeves, not before taking flight and flying straight towards Takeshi. Takeshi raised his free hand towards Haji, and all of a sudden Haji found himself flying backwards, crashing through a window of a building. The moment Haji disappeared from view, Takeshi returned his attention to Yashamaru who was flying towards him, once more slamming his fist onto his gut, sending his flying backwards, crashing into a solid wall, almost bringing the entire building collapsing onto him.

" You got to be shitting me!" Yashamaru exclaimed, trying to pick himself up from all the broken wood and concrete all around him. Haji's bees attempted to attack him, swarming all over the place. Before they managed to reach him, he took out enough shurikens for each bee and flung them at his targets. Despite moving at quite a great speed, Takeshi somehow managed to hit all of them, cutting them in half. One final bee attempted to dive towards Takeshi, but was quickly slices in two with a kunai which he managed to procure from his weapon pouch.

" So much for the famed Void Hunters. If this was what all of you could offer, I would have used a full-scale attack to wipe all of you out single-handedly," Takeshi taunted them.

" Why you…!" Yashamaru exclaimed, getting to his feet, almost about to pounce on Takeshi when a hand grabbed hold of his shoulders to stop him. Looking around, Haji had recovered from the attack and had gone to his side, stopping him from advancing. " What are you doing?! Let me get this bastard!"

" Don't be silly. His attacks have limits. You are merely falling into his trap," Haji responded.

" Oh…it looks like your partner has a brain at least," Takeshi replied.

" What do you mean?" Yashamaru asked.

" Think about it. If his range of pushing and pulling people are absolute, then there is absolutely nothing to stop him from attacking us now. The fact that he is not, and that he taunted you to attack him means that this 'ability' of his has a certain range. Furthermore, he didn't use it on my bees, when it would be more affective to do so, instead choosing to use physical weapons. This tells us that his ability can target limited objects, or within a restricted area, or they don't work on bees," Haji replied.

" Why wouldn't it work on bees?" Yashamaru asked.

" I do not know, but I have a gut feeling there is a reason why he didn't use it on bees. After all, from the timing attack between you and me, the 'ability' does not seem to have an obvious refractory period," Haji replied. " We need to test these waters."

Takeshi watched as Haji formed a few hand seals, and he recognized them as a summoning technique. Once he was done, Haji pressed the palm of his hand onto the ground, calling forth an enormous bee. It was three times larger than a normal person, while having what looks like 6 times the mass of an average human. Its stinger was unusually large, almost half the length of the bee itself.

" Well, that might hurt," Takeshi noted.

Haji snapped his fingers, and the giant bee instantly flew towards Takeshi. Takeshi's eyes widened slightly, not expecting the giant insect to have so much speed, but he was able to quickly avoid it, side-stepping to his right. The giant bee slammed its feet onto the ground, not before pointing its stinger at Takeshi and firing it like a missile towards him.

"…What?!" Takeshi exclaimed, not expecting this. His fists moved quickly, delivering a solid punch towards the flying stinger , knocking it to the ground. The bee turned to attack, but he had formed his hand seals, and the bee was caught in a powerful electrical discharge of energy from Takeshi's body, instantly burning it to a crisp. " That was close."

He noted that his hand hurt slightly. Upon closer examination, he saw the back surface of his fingers were red, as if they were burned. The bee's stinger probably had some poison, which apparently had caustic effects.

" Looks like he could not use his 'unique ability' to block that attack, which means it has some underlying effect as to why it cannot affect bees, or some reason why it can attack only us," Haji replied. " The area where he can use his ability has a maximum range of roughly 30 meters. Keep your distance."

" I am a taijutsu specialist. Keep what distance?!" Yashamaru shouted out in annoyance.

Haji proceeded to summon out more bees, 10 large ones about half the size of the one he summon before. They instantly took off into the air, not before launching their stingers towards Takeshi like missiles, their projectiles 3 times the size of a senbon needle. The main large bee fired its stinger into the air, not before exploding, sending a massive shower of small needle barbs which rained down from above Takeshi.

Takeshi formed a few hand seals, not before raising his hands, his left in front of him while his right was held upwards, both of them with his palms open wide. All the stingers struck an invisible force field about one feet away from him.

Yashamaru took this opportunity to strike, coming in close, assuming Takeshi would be unable to prevent an attack, but all Takeshi did was glare at him, and Yashamaru was thrown back several meters. Takeshi formed another set of hand seals, and when he was done, he took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. Yashamaru felt a wave of electrical energy pass by his entire body, and within seconds he could hear sizzling noises, like something was being electrified. Looking around, he saw that Haji's bees had been burnt to a crisp, electrified beyond recognition as they fell to the floor, shattering into ashes and dust as they made contact with the ground surface.

" Don't insult me," Takeshi chided them, cracking his knuckles as he raised his hands to continue the fight. " Do not assume you have seen the extent of my capabilities."

" Of course not, but it would be presumptuous of you to assume that we don't know the extent of your capabilities," Haji replied. " Yashamaru, take of any metal equipment or weapons you have on you."

" Huh? Why?" Yashamaru asked.

" His ability allows him to attract or repel metal, like a powerful magnet. He cannot do so for organic beings, like my bees, and from the angle where he pulled and pushed you, the extent of the force seem to focus on your metal armband and your weapon pouch attached to your left leg," Haji replied, removing his equipment. Yashamaru looked confused, but complied and took off any metal items he had.

" Not bad," Takeshi praised him.

Yashamaru moved in for the kill, and this time Takeshi avoided him instead of pushing him away like last time. " Hah, looks like Haji was right. It's time for payback!" Yashamaru snarled at him, throwing powerful punches at Takeshi's direction. Takeshi slowly backed off, making small movements, dodging Yashamaru's hits by mere fractions. Takeshi's eyes observed his sides, seeing Haji summon more bees by his side, all of them beginning to fire out their stingers at him like a rain of needles.

As Yashamaru threw a powerful straight at his face, Takeshi moved his head to the side to avoid it, locking his arm in place. Pulling slightly, he pulled Yashamaru towards his side, putting him between the on-coming stingers and himself. However, this time, the stingers seemed to have some form of a homing ability, as all of them curved around in an arc, moving and striking Takeshi from behind. As he tried to move, he felt Yashamaru grab his arm firmly, locking him in place.

" You are not going to escape so easily!" Yashamaru yelled, fixing Takeshi to his spot.

However, Takeshi raised his free hand and formed a few hand seals one-handed. Without warning, Yashamaru saw his entire vision shift. He realized after a while that their standing position had changed. To be more specific, both of them moved about 20 meters to the right, passing right by the wall of needles that was about to skewer Takeshi.

_Impossible, he did a body-flicker technique with two people?!_ Yashamaru thought to himself.

Takeshi performed a body-flicker technique once more, but this time only moving himself, slipping out of Yashamaru's grasp. The next second, Yashamaru felt someone grab him from behind his head, and this was followed up by a painful strike to his head, like someone had smashed a massive boulder on the back of his head. He instantly felt himself crash onto the ground, finding miraculous he was still conscious despite the attack.

As Haji tried to react, Takeshi snapped his fingers, and a powerful jolt of electricity shot through Haji's body. His entire body felt sluggish, as if he suddenly increased in weight, almost 100 times his usual weight. He dropped to his knees instantly, unable to stand up properly. Takeshi snapped both his fingers once more, and the earth around them moved and wrapped their bodies, leaving only their heads exposed.

" I see, you sure live up to your reputation," Haji replied.

" Of course," Takeshi replied.

Yashamaru raised his eyebrows in confusion. Takeshi didn't seem intent to finish them off, keeping them in place. He had a perfect opportunity to kill him earlier, but Takeshi instead immobilized him. Takeshi noticed his confusion, and he turned to him smiling slightly.

" You are curious as to why I am leaving you alive. Simple: I am in-charge of a specialized division, mainly intelligence, and I am in need of people with experience and skill, especially those from other countries," Takeshi replied.

" …You plan on asking us to defect?" Haji answered after a while.

" Defect? Such a strong word coming from a missing-nin. Are you all that loyal to your organization?" Takeshi asked. " My offer is simple: Either I kill you now, painlessly if you wish, or you come and serve me and my village. I offer a clean state, and any provisions and special exemptions you require. All you need to do is to work for me. My only rule is that if you choose to serve me and then opt to betray me later, I will call on the full extent of my influence to ensure that you die in the most creative, yet painful way possible. Now, choose."

Hajic chuckled slightly. " …You are an interesting man. Are you so sure you can trust us? Do you think we would even consider this choice given?" he replied.

As a response, Takeshi laughed loudly, almost as if he was enjoying a comedy performance, and it made both Haji and Yashamaru nervous slightly. " You are highly mistaken, and I must apologise for imposing ideas on you. There is absolutely no choice in the matter. I would not present to you such a choice if I had absolutely no confidence that you would accept it at all. If not, you would have died 30 seconds ago, as I have no further need for you," Takeshi answered confidently. " The only reason I am giving you this choice is because I know full well that you will accept it. Now, to give you the illusion of a choice, I ask again: Will you join me, or will you die here and now?"

Maya stopped moving once she had gained some distance, and Tsubaki stopped directly behind her. Tsubaki looked to her left and right, and sensing that nobody was in the vicinity, dropped her aggressive attitude towards Maya, adopting a casual stance instead.

" You think they bought it?" Tsubaki asked.

" Maybe, but not Takeshi. That guy is as sharp as a tact, but it looks like he is content on letting us leave, so we will leave it at that. Well, we are helping each other out, so I suppose he can let this slide once," Maya answered.

" Heh, looks like it worked perfectly. The organization you had been trying to bring down for years has been taken down, all their spoils left for us to take and utilize. Revenge at its finest," Tsubaki replied laughing happily.

"…Revenge, huh? I almost forgot why I even did this in the first place," Maya whispered to herself.

" It's just too bad about Hayate. I was hoping he could join us," Tsubaki mused.

" Hmm, perhaps, but he was using me as I was using him. I suppose using the Leaf and Sand to bring down his father was a great move on his part. He was trying to escape his fate somehow, so he wanted to face his death. After the total destruction of his village and everything he had ever cared for, even friends and family, he had nothing left to live for anyway. It was his choice," Maya replied. " It was a pity. He was quite the strategist, even if he was a manipulative bastard. I have to hand it to him, using us and adding us into the equation as well."

" So, what now, boss?" Tsubaki asked.

" Now? We get the hell out of here," Maya replied, grinning madly.


	51. Chapter 50: Endgame

**Chapter 50: Endgame**

" Hang on, you are suggesting that I use Sora as a puppet?" Hiroshi remarked.

" Actually, that's not too bad of an idea," Sora noted.

" That's not the point," Hiroshi corrected her.

" Then what is?" Sora asked.

" I tend to be destructive with my puppets. I use puppets as decoys and diversions, that's my style. I can't use you as a puppet, especially considering that you are my friend," Hiroshi replied.

" In short, you don't want it on your conscience if I happen to get killed while you control me," Sora replied. Hiroshi merely gave a disgruntled grunt. " Well, it's not like we have much of a choice. Can you remove whatever that's binding my eyes? If so, I can't see, and if I can't see, I can't do shit. I'm the only one here who can keep up with Naoto's speed, and the only one who can pierce her defences, assuming my previous attacks had any cumulative effect. Obviously, only you can act as my eyes at this point."

" What if I cannot guide you?" Hiroshi asked.

" Don't worry on that account," Miyako replied.

With that, she apparently split into two figures before they even noticed, standing side by side like mirror images. However, they both knew it was obvious that she most likely performed a Shadow Clone jutsu.

" I'll have the clone attack alongside with Sora to keep Naoto occupied, since Sora cannot face her alone, while I will direct Sora's actions by telling you where to move her," Miyako replied confidently.

" You two seem to have more confidence facing Naoto with a handicap now than when we were still at full-power previously," Hiroshi noted.

" Actually, our chances of success has dropped to 2%, even with this plan," Miyako noted. " Then again, sometimes, it's not the calculation of ability and capabilities that determine a fight. There are other factors as well, far beyond theoretical calculation."

" Damn right! 2% is enough to secure a victory!" Sora exclaimed, pumping her fists, looking a little silly as she was facing the opposite direction of Hiroshi and Miyako when she did it.

" Well, fine. Let's do this," Hiroshi replied.

" Listen up, Hiroshi. The reason I am allowing you to dictate my movements is because I trust you, alright?" Sora replied all of a sudden. " You and me go way back, and in some sense, we know each other better than we know ourselves. I have complete faith in you, nothing less would allow me to let you control me."

Hiroshi merely looked at her, not before giving a chuckle. " You do say some insightful things once in a while," Hiroshi muttered, smiling as he whipped out his chakra strings from his remaining hand. The five strings emerged from his fingers and attached themselves all over Sora's body, one each on her limbs and one directly on her back. Sora felt a strange sensation flow through her body, as something started to move her entire body. She could easily resist it, but she allowed this external force have its way with her.

" We ready?" Sora asked, slamming her fists together. Naoto, who had been patiently waiting outside, merely grinned mischievously as they prepared to face her for round two. Hiroshi and Miyako looked at each other, not before nodded their heads, and Hiroshi sent a charge of chakra to the ground, breaking the barrier.

Naoto moved first, leaping off her feet and rushing towards them, not before being brought to a halt when she went crashing straight into an invisible wall. To her surprise, she noted that Hiroshi's barrier was still up, only that it didn't have its original bluish tone.

" Disabling barriers are for pussies!" Sora exclaimed, bursting out of the barrier by punching through it. The barrier shattered, not before Sora's fists flew towards Naoto. The attack connected to Naoto's chest, but Naoto threw herself backwards, drastically reducing the damage received.

Hiroshi moved his fingers carefully, adjusting the chakra flow on his fingertips to control the flow of chakra. Sora moved her body according to Hiroshi's guidance, feeling the subtle flow of chakra through her body. It was a fairly weird sensation, more akin to very light static energy running through her limbs, telling her where to go. It didn't particularly felt comfortable, but they didn't have the luxury of time to get used to it.

" Forward five feet, left two feet, forward two feet, strike to the head, drop to dodge, pull back four feet, forward two feet, quick blows to chest, swerve left, back up one step, charge forward," Miyako responded quickly. Hiroshi was having trouble trying to keep up with her instructions, since they came very fast. Hiroshi could see that her eyes were glowing bright blue, spinning wildly as she kept her gaze on Naoto. Her brain was processing things faster than Hiroshi could keep up with, and he tried his best to keep up with her instructions.

Sora seemed to be coping well despite her sudden lack of vision. All the slight alterations of movements which he placed on the chakra strings were of no problem to her, as she was able to keep up with their signals.

Sora kicked her feet off the ground, shooting towards Naoto, who quickly backed up. She then proceeded to leap backwards, as the ground suddenly burst forth, sending large, square chunks of earth towards Naoto. The rocks started to shower upon Naoto with pin-point precision, which she quickly avoided by jumping away. Miyako's clone slammed her hand onto the ground once more, sending another burst of rocks towards Naoto.

" This is mildly annoying," Naoto replied, grabbing a chunk of rock with her two hands and throwing it towards Miyako's clone.

The clone quickly snapped her fingers, and just before the chunk of rock hit her, it shattered into a hundred pieces, turning almost instantly into dust. However, Naoto managed to get behind her during the confusion, aiming a punch towards the clone's back.

Just before the strike hit, Miyako moved her head to the left, just enough so that Naoto's fist went flying past her. Raising her arms, she elbowed Naoto from behind, a sonic burst of energy shooting out from her elbow, sending the shockwave through Naoto's body. However, Naoto seems unfazed by the attack, and attempted to grab Miyako.

Out of nowhere, Sora rushed towards Naoto and grabbed her, pulling her out of the way. Sora smashed her onto the ground, about to give her a devastating blow to the gut, when Naoto effortlessly kicked her off her body, sending Sora flying upwards by about 20 meters. Sora sent out a burst of sonic energy propelling herself back down to the ground, her fist clenched tightly. Using all her might, she smashed her fists right where Naoto was, her attack forming a massive crater on the ground, but Naoto easily avoided the attack by rolling aside.

" Hey, I thought I was doing the controlling here," Hiroshi replied.

" Your orders are far too slow. I usually move faster than this," Sora chided him.

" This is no time for jokes," Hiroshi snapped back.

" She is not joking. Your reaction speed to my commands are far too slow," Miyako chided in. " You need to keep up."

" Ugh," Hirosi groaned in disappointment.

" Still, we have other problems," Miyako replied.

" Like what?"

" Naoto is countering our techniques," Miyako replied.

" In what way?" Hiroshi asked.

" I mentioned previously that Sora is the only one here who has the destructive capabilities to break through Naoto's body defences, correct? That's mainly because she powers her taijutsu using sound waves and sonic energy. However, your previous attack did not work because she managed to neutralise the attack, and thus, with that capability, she can render Sora's attack useless. Now, when you attacked her with one of Sora's Fangs earlier, did you see how she managed to counter your attack?" Miyako explained.

Hiroshi tried to recall the fight. He could distinctively remember hitting Naoto directly. Naoto didn't form any seals, nor did any movement. It was a direct hit. Then, it hit Hiroshi.

" A passive defence?" Hiroshi mused.

" Most likely. She didn't actively counter or take action prior to being hit, and I just test it out with my clone earlier when I made her attack her just now. Her body is naturally countering our sonic based attacks," Miyako replied. " The thing was this didn't happen the initial two times Sora managed to land a hit."

" Whatever jutsu she is using must be incredible to be able to neutralise Sora'a attacks just like that," Hiroshi replied.

" True, but unless we figure it out, our attacks are currently useless," Miyako replied.

" So, what now?" Hiroshi asked.

" It's simply a matter of time," Miyako replied.

With that, Hiroshi could sense a flow of chakra surging through Miyako. Her eyes were glowing very brightly now, her irises spinning madly as the chakra lines in her eyes started to overload themselves, Miyako's brain circuits no doubt running on overdrive now. The moment she did that, she gagged slightly, not before coughing out blood from her mouth violently. She tried to cover her mouth, but it didn't stop the blood from spilling out.

" …A matter of time to see whether you can figure this out first, or if your body burns out first?" Hiroshi responded.

" Yeah…" Miyako replied, grimacing in pain, but still grinning nevertheless. " Okay, follow my lead."

Hiroshi guided Sora to rush towards Naoto, zig-zagging along the way. Feinting a move to the left, Sora leaped at Naoto from the right, throwing a punch. Naoto backed up, only to see Sora snap her fingers. A loud sonic boom was emitted when she snapped her fingers, the noise ringing noisily in their ears. Naoto looked unfazed for some reason.

" That's it," Miyako replied.

" An area based sonic barrier," Hiroshi replied.

" You catch on pretty quick," Miyako noted.

" No, it's just that I understand my friend's abilities well," Hiroshi replied.

Someone set up a barrier that was nullifying Sora's, or anybody for that matter, sonic attacks. Since Naoto didn't do anything obvious to show it, someone else was helping her keeping this barrier active. The fact that they didn't realised that their attacks seem to be non-responsive meant someone has been using genjutsu on them. Considering that they could not sense anyone else around, Naoto must have set it up while they were distracted.

" Naoto must have set up the barrier previously after getting hit twice. We need to disable this barrier, or we will be getting anywhere at all," Miyako replied firmly.

" Sora!" Hiroshi shouted all of a sudden.

" What is it?" she asked.

" Buy me some time. 30 seconds!" Hiroshi replied.

No sooner than he had spoken those words, Sora felt the chakra strings detach themselves from her body, and although she couldn't see it, she could positively hear Hiroshi move backwards. Miyako looked in surprise as Hiroshi pressed the palm of his hand onto the ground, not before sensing a change in the chakra around their surrounding area.

Naoto realised that Hiroshi was attempting to remove her anti-sonic barrier, and she sprung towards his direction, putting him as a top priority target. There was a sudden blur of movement, and Sora instantly appeared right next to her, throwing a strong punch towards her face. However, due to the fact that she couldn't see, and that Hiroshi was no longer guiding her, her movements, while sharp, were not exactly accurate. Naoto barely had to dodge to avoid the attack. Grabbing her arm which she threw towards her, she held her tightly as she elbowed Sora in the face, the force of the strike knocking Sora silly onto the ground.

Both Miyako and her clone reacted quickly. Forming seals with rapid precision, she started to breathe fire and wind, when combined together, formed a powerful, heated inferno. Without warning, Naoto smashed into the ground just as the fire was about to sweep her, keeping herself safe underground. Sensing an odd feeling underground, Miyako quickly backed up just as Naoto burst out from the ground below, launching an uppercut just as she emerged. Twisting her body around, she kicked Miyako in the gut, throwing her against her shadow clone, who caught her deftly as she felt towards her.

Out of distractions, Naoto immediately headed towards Hiroshi, who was still in the middle of trying to remove the barrier she had set up. However, once more, with an insane burst of agility and strength, Sora moved between Naoto and Hiroshi, using her other sense to guide her movements. Sensing her coming closer, Sora once again threw a punch towards Naoto. Naoto could easily read her movements, and caught her fist as it came speeding towards her face.

" Heh, I commend you for trying, but you cannot fight while blind," Naoto replied, launching her fists towards Sora's gut into order to punch her, but to her utter surprise, Sora caught her fist with relative ease, almost as if she could see where the attack was coming from.

There was a sudden sound of a spark, then a tingling sensation washed over them all of a sudden, almost as if a light, almost insensible flow of electricity passed through them. " Sora, do it now!" Hiroshi exclaimed loudly, having no doubt broken the anti-sonic barrier.

" Hell yes! Sonic Barrier Counterblast!"Sora exclaimed, grinning fiercely.

A massive, yet calculated burst of sonic energy erupted from Sora's fists, breaking Naoto's hold on her and pushing her back a couple of feet. Given a good striking opportunity now, Sora threw a multitude of punches towards Naoto, each of her attacks now brimming with her signature sonic energy, primed to utterly destroy their target, and for some unexplained reason, her attacks seem to be strangely deadly accurate.

A strong left slammed towards Naoto's side, which she barely had time to guard by moving her arm to her side, taking the full-blunt of the attack. No sooner than she had struck, another attack came flying towards her from the same direction, but this time moving towards her face, smashing into her face, and to complete it, her right arm shot in and slammed her fist straight onto Naoto's chest, throwing her backwards.

Naoto staggered backwards, but surprisingly managed to recover very rapidly, catching Sora's next attack. Grabbing her arm, she threw Sora aside, her body sent flying several feet away. However, something strange dawned on her.

_Strange, if she was using her sonic attacks at full-power, I'll be screwed already. I'm still fine, even if she did attack me…_Naoto thought to herself, not before returning her attention towards Hiroshi. Then, realisation hit her. _His move was a trick. He didn't break the barrier, he merely tricked me that he did, or at least for a short period where she managed to use her sonic attacks to break free from me. Pressing his hand on the ground was another trick: he showed me that he detached the chakra strings from Sora, but in fact, he was reattaching new ones onto her underground, which will suddenly explain her precision all of a sudden._

" I see now. You are a threat, Hiroshi. Rumours about you don't do you justice," Naoto replied, rushing towards Hiroshi now that there was nothing standing in her way.

Hiroshi quickly raised his hand and shot it towards her, his puppet arm shooting towards Naoto. It suddenly tripled in length, and like a snake, coiled around her body and tightened its grip around her body, no doubt trying to bind her. However, Naoto merely needed to exert some strength on her arms, and the puppet arm that was wrapped around her body broke apart, unable to handle the force being place upon it.

" Weak, and now you have no hands," Naoto exclaimed, but her eyes widened in shock when she saw Hiroshi standing in front of her, two puppet arms attached perfectly to his body, holding his Ash Saber using both hands, the explosive notes catching fire on the katana. " What?"

" A piece of advice: when it comes to trickery in the midst of a fight, I'm the best liar Konoha can offer," Hiroshi exclaimed. With all his might, he swung his Ash Saber towards Naoto. Naoto jumped backwards to avoid the on-coming explosion, but she found herself caught by someone. Looking behind her, Sora had apparently grappled her from behind, and was holding on to her body tightly.

" Wait, how can you move? You can't see," Naoto exclaimed.

" Actually, I can,"Sora replied. Naoto couldn't believe her ears. Hiroshi controlling her movements earlier was all a feint. _A double feint?! _She thought to herself.

Miyako wasted no time in following up and attack, both her clone and herself rushing towards the restrained Naoto, pressing their palms on her chest. A large sonic blast burst out from her body, and Naoto started to cough out blood. Naoto tried to retaliate, but Miyako quickly countered by slamming her fist into her gut while crushing her elbow onto her neck, knocking Naoto unconscious.

"Tch, I was hoping to deal the final blow, but I guess I can leave it up to you," Sora replied, releasing and forcibly dropping Naoto onto the ground. " Can I kill her?"

" Don't be silly. She will no doubt have valuable information, about her organisation and her past actions. She will be worth a lot in term of valuable intelligence. It'll be better if we can take her back and let our superiors deal with her," Hiroshi answered, keeping his Ash Saber in one of his remaining weapon scrolls.

"…You do realise where we are right now, right?" Sora reminded him.

"…Well, we at least owe Takeshi something for his hospitality," Hiroshi answered.


	52. Chapter 51: Loose Ends

**Chapter 51: Loose Ends**

Ryouta woke with a start. The very first thing he noticed was Suzumi kneeling over his prone body her hands glowing from the chakra in which she was pouring into. His entire body felt like he was on fire, but slowly enough the pain was subsiding until it reached a bearable level.

" Don't get up yet. I'll be done with you soon," Suzumi replied, seeing Ryouta attempting to sit himself up. It didn't take long for Suzumi to finish her treatment, and a few seconds later she was finished. " Alright, you're okay now. You did overload a lot of your chakra circuits, and your entire internal system is taxed, which is an understatement. I've applied a lot of painkillers and reduced your nerve sensitivity so that you can walk. How are you feeling?"

" Okay so far," Ryouta replied.

" Were you trying to kill yourself?"

Ryouta was about to respond when he realised that someone else spoke to him. Looking to his left, he noticed for the first time that Maya and her companions, Kaname and Akane, were right next to her. However, the voice did not belong to any of them, and looking around, he could see a somewhat familiar face behind Maya, waving her hands cheerfully towards him.

" You are Negi, right?" Ryouta noted.

" You can call me Tsubaki, if you like. Sorry for being a little rough on you earlier, it wasn't as if I really wanted to hurt you," Tsubaki replied, trying to look apologetic while Akane simply rolled her eyes.

" So, you were Maya's informant. You seem to have your people almost everywhere where you conveniently need them," Ryouta noted, trying to get to his feet while Suzumi helped him. " What happened while I was out?"

" Things have surprisingly gone as planned. Your comrades Sora and Hiroshi, with a good dose of inside help, has managed to take down Naoto. The rest of the Void Hunters have been taken care of, or have escaped, so for the meantime, they pose no threat. With no backing, and no central control, the organisation will eventually break-up or disappear, since Naoto controls pretty much almost everything. I'd say well done," Maya replied, clapping her hands mockingly together.

" I see..." Ryouta replied, not before turning to Suzumi. " Go check on the rest. I don't think they managed to escaped unharmed, and they might need medical help."

Suzumi raised her eyebrows, but she caught on quickly on what Ryouta intended to do. Without waiting, she quickly headed off to another direction, leaving all of the rogue shinobi alone with Ryouta. Ryouta watched her leave, and until she was out of his sight did he return his gaze to Maya.

" So, what now?" he asked.

" That depends on what you want to do," Maya answered.

" I mean what now between you and me," Ryouta responded.

" I just answered that," Maya replied.

Ryouta sighed dejectedly. " You are a missing-nin, and regardless of your reasons, whether they are good or bad, you have previously attacked important figures of our country and caused a lot of trouble. You are still listed as a wanted person in our bingo books, and I doubt this can be erased that easily," Ryouta replied. " Besides, I am occasionally in-charge of hunting down missing-nins. We are bound to cross-paths if I just merely let you go and do whatever you want. Your services today may render your debt null, but only for today."

"…There is this mountain range north to our village. It is about roughly 100 kilometers north of our village. It overlooks a small fishing village, and it is a pleasant, scenic place, quite a place to go for a holiday. I think, starting from now, I will visit the place every year, on the second week after the start of each New Year. If I somehow don't hear that you are causing problems within our borders, and keep a low profile, you can find me there every year. If you even do anything slightly suspicious, consider our ties severed. You don't need to answer me now, but I can read your actions. With any luck, perhaps I will see you again in 6 months," Ryouta answered. " Now, I think you better make yourself scarce."

" Chasing us away already so quickly?" Kaname asked, snickering slightly.

" Takeshi's forces will arrive soon to take everyone in custody and to clean up the place. While he can answer for our presence, I can only assume he won't do the same for you. Besides clearing this entire organisation today, he owes you nothing on the whole, and will most likely prefer to catch you than let you go. If we have settled most of the forces here, then it would be prudent for your self-preservation to leave now," Ryouta replied.

" He's right, girls. We better make a move," Maya replied.

" Send Sora my regards," Akane replied, smiling sheepishly at Ryouta.

" I'd rather not. You know how she is," Ryouta replied.

All of them quickly disappeared one by one, with Maya being the last one to leave. Ryouta watched her as she lingered for a while, obviously wanting to do or say something. After what felt like the longest minute he had ever waited, she slowly walked towards him, and kissed him on his forehead.

" I know that you have little reason to be proud of a person like me, but if you believe my words, I want you to know that I am proud of what you turned out to be," Maya whispered into his ears, not before slowly fading away, her figure slowly disappearing like a mirage.

ooo

" Looks like I didn't really need to be here. It seems like you have taken care of things before I came to help," Kagura noted the moment she reached the harbour, glancing at Sora, Hiroshi and Miyako all lying on the ground, tired and rather injured. Hiroshi had secured Naoto with thick metal wires, which would hopefully hold her in place. Sora was sprawled unceremoniously on the ground, looking as if she was too tired to move anymore. Miyako was quietly observing Kagura, as if expecting her to do something to her. " You did well. On behalf on my village, I would like to thank you for your help."

" No worries, we wanted to take care of this problem as well," Hiroshi replied. " I assume that Takeshi wants to take her into custody?"

" Of course. Is there a problem?" Kagura asked.

" Well, I suppose we would like to do the same, but I guess we owe Takeshi for this. Still, if he does find anything important or relevant to our village after interrogating her, could you please inform us of anything?" Hiroshi asked.

" I am sure he would be glad to oblige," Kagura answered. Hiroshi couldn't see it, but he could sense she was smiling under her mask. " Anyway, what are you going to do now?"

Kagura directed her question towards Miyako. As she is about to answer, Hiroshi stepped in and answered instead. " She's coming with me to my village. Regardless of whatever she has done, she did help us today to take down Naoto. If anything, I hope you can overlook this much," Hiroshi answered. " Much of her actions are not her fault."

" It is not her actions that I am concerned about," Kagura replied.

Hiroshi figured out as much. Kagura probably knew of Miyako's ability, or at least had an inkling of what it was. " Then it would be imperative that she follow me back to my village, if that is the case. We will take care of her," Hiroshi replied. " If they don't, I will at least."

Kagura seemed satisfied with the answer, and as she was about to respond, all of them sensed someone approaching. Takeshi appeared from the northern side of the town, looking unharmed.

" Looks like I am late to the party. Sorry I missed it," Takeshi replied, chuckling slightly. " That's another one we owe you, Hiroshi. At this rate, I might not be able to pay my debts to you."

" It's fine. At least I got something out of this one, compared to the last time," Hiroshi replied, getting to his feet.

" I didn't manage to ask: what did you do the last time?" Sora piped up all of a sudden.

" It was a secret mission," Hiroshi replied flatly.

" I don't believe you," Sora responded quickly.

" I don't give a shit," Hiroshi replied.

ooo

Sakuya opened her eyes. For some reason she found that she was miraculously still alive. Her last vision was that of the shinobi named Hibiki standing over her, his spear posed to strike her. From the looks of it, it seems like he had decided to spare her, and she had merely passed out from the blood loss. She tried to pick herself up but she seemed to have lost all strength to do so. The loss of blood was making her feel a little dizzy.

" Need a hand?" someone asked.

Sakuya turned to the direction of the familiar voice, and she saw Kouma's head sticking out from the house in front of her. He slowly emerged, coming out from the wall he was hiding within, not before standing before Sakuya, grinning mischeviously.

" Why are you here?" Sakuya asked weakly.

" Well, I was thinking of getting the hell out of the place. The organisation is finished now, and I am not willing to wait for the Cloud-nin reinforcements to come and clean the place. I was going to scram and I decided to come pick you as well," Kouma answered.

" …What? The organisation…" Sakuya gasped.

" It's over already. They have taken down Naoto, Yashamari and Haji has defected to the Cloud-nins, and the rest of the Void Hunters are dead or missing. I think it's high time we leave. I was planning on hiding somewhere south. I am kinda fond of the southern plains, so I was thinking of heading there. Wanna come along?" Kouma replied.

" You'd leave so willingly?" Sakuya chided him.

" You'd rather stay?" Kouma rebuked her.

" …I guess not," she answered after a while, and Kouma quickly picked her up, carrying her on her back. Sakuya was about to scold him for not fixing her wounds, but she suddenly felt something rough and hard spread across her chest. Kouma was using his earth jutsu to temporarily seal up her wound to prevent any further blood loss. However, Kouma suddenly stopped moving, and Sakuya raised her head to see what was up.

Maya was standing right in front of them. Not only that, it seemed that she was accompanied by 3 other people, two who were familiar to her, but the one who wore the Cloud-nin vest was an unfamiliar face. All of them were lined up in front of them, and Sakuya wondered if they wanted to stop them.

" You don't seem surprised," Negi remarked all of a sudden.

" I kinda suspected it all along," Kouma replied sheepishly.

" Oh, it was nice of you to not report it," Negi replied.

" Meh, it was too much trouble. I'd rather not put myself in such a position," Kouma answered honestly. " So, what are you all planning on doing? I suppose you all are leaving once you loot the place, correct?"

" Of course," Maya replied. " I'm surprised you managed to survive Ryouta's attack. I was under the impression that he burnt you to a crisp until there was nothing left."

" Well, I had him fought a replica golem that looked like me," Kouma answered. " I merely watched the fight the entire time."

" Oh, you must be pretty good to match Ryouta with a mere golem clone," Maya replied.

" You give me too much credit…So, we have no argument here, correct?" Kouma asked, although this time his voice dropped a little, and Sakuya sensed some level of hostility from his voice, making him sound extremely dangerous all of a sudden, as if he suddenly changed his personality all of a sudden.

" Of course. I have no bone to pick with you here. I think it is in our best interest to get out of here as soon as possible. You are free to go as you please," Maya answered.

Kouma instantly lost his dangerous personality, smiling all of a sudden. " Oh, is that so? Thanks, may fortunes favour you in the future," Kouma answered. He casually walked through them as they stepped aside to let him pass. Sakuya turned her head to observe Maya and her group as they continued to look at Kouma and Sakuya leave.

" Did you think they wanted to attack?" Sakuya asked.

" Maybe, maybe not. It was highly unlikely, but I'd rather not take the chance," Kouma replied. " I am be invincible, but I cannot protect you if I fight them."

" …About that…"

" …Hmm?"

" Why did you decide to save me?" Sakuya asked.

" Well, it will be boring on my own, so I decide to bring you along. It is always nice to keep some company," Kouma replied.

" That's the thing. I am so far the only one who can effectively combat your golems…would it be safe to keep me around?" Sakuya asked.

" Irrelevant," Kouma answered almost instantly.

" Why?" Sakuya continued.

" Because by then you will have fallen for my roguish charms, so I won't need to worry about a thing," Kouma replied, laughing out loudly. Sakuya could merely smile as he took them out of the town.

ooo

" I'm hungry," Sora muttered all of a sudden.

" What's with you now?" Hiroshi asked.

" I am damn hungry. I am going to eat till I drop when I do manage to get back," Sora replied. She still hasn't gotten up from her position, lazily lying down on the ground. Hiroshi was slowly picking up all his weapons and pieces of his puppets that had been strewn all over the place.

" That sounds like a very good idea. I think I am going to do the same when I get back as well," the sound of Hibiki's voice spoke up. Turning around, Hiroshi could see Hibiki, along with Makoto and Mayuri reaching the harbour to meet them. Makoto seemed to have suffered some serious injuries to his legs, so Mayuri was carrying him. At a distance, Takeshi and Sougo could be seen entering the harbour, followed by Suzumi.

" I guess our work here is pretty much done," Makoto replied.

" Indeed. No doubt thanks to your steadfast cooperation. My village owes you a debt once more," Takeshi replied, nodding his head slightly towards Hiroshi.

" Hahaha, it's okay. Don't worry about it," Hiroshi replied. " I'm just glad this is all over and done with."

" I'm hungry," Sora repeated herself.

" Yes, I heard you the first time," Hiroshi groaned.

" I think it will be good to get back to get some rest. You might have to get some extended R&R when you all return to your respective villages. Once you have recovered slightly, I will have my people transfer you back to your village through a summoning seal, so you can return instantly. Don't worry about clean-up, my village can handle that. I have informed them of our situation, so they are sending people on their way already," Takeshi replied, not before extending a hand to Hiroshi to help him stand up.

Hiroshi accepted his hand, and once he was up and Suzumi had taken care of their more serious injuries, all of them proceeded to leave the harbour. Sougo and Kagura escorted Naoto, carrying her since she was still unconscious, leading the way as everyone followed them from behind.

As they were about to leave, Hiroshi removed a kunai from his weapon pack, which had a small piece of cloth tied to it, and casually dropped it onto the ground without anyone noticing it, keeping to the back of the group so that nobody would notice what he had done.

When everyone was gone from sight, a lone shinobi with a long, thick cape appeared on the harbour, standing at where Hiroshi had dropped his kunai. He picked up the kunai and undid the knot on the cloth, reading the message within. Once he was done, he disappeared once more, like he was never there at all.

_Writer's note: I realised that I have spelled Naoto's name wrongly. It's supposed to be Naoto, although I believe I have typed _Naota_ instead on occasion (although truth be told, I have completely forgotten whether I initially used Naoto or Naota) . Sorry for the typo, and I will try to correct it if I find it. _


	53. Chapter 52: Acceptance

**Chapter 52: Acceptance**

Hiroshi and the rest of his teammates were waiting in a hospital room. They had safely returned to the village of Konoha, and it has been almost three days since then. By the time they returned, they were so fatigued and mentally tired that the last few days have been a blurry mess. Hiroshi even had to actively remind himself why they were in the hospital now in the first place.

All of them were present, with the exception of Suzumi. Ryouta and Makoto were quietly discussing something, keeping their voice low enough to prevent the rest of them from hearing, while Hibiki and Sora were merely throwing dirty glances at each other. Since Makoto was occupied with Ryouta, Mayuri opted to keep her distance. Her hair had recovered remarkably fast since the last fight. Hiroshi was almost taken aback at how short it was, but only a few days later it was almost back to half its original length.

Hiroshi had lost track of time ever since they started travelling from the Sand village, but it had been almost a month since they departed, and when they got back, their Hokage was more than ready to hear what they had to say to explain their 'tardiness'. She had heard reports from what happened in the villages up north, but she wanted a full, detailed explanation of what went on during the past 4 weeks, and all of them stayed in her office late in the night as they told her everything. Shikamaru and a couple of other jounins were present to listen as well, including Sakura-sensei and Tsunade's aide, Shizune.

" …Currently, Takeshi is keeping Naoto under his custody, with the full intention of interrogating her and extracting everything that they can from her. With her history against us, there is sure to be useful information to be obtained. He has agreed that if he comes across any information deemed necessary or important to us, he will oblige in handing the information over, but Naoto will be kept under his custody, at all cost," Ryouta replied. " That is all."

The room was silent for a while. Perhaps they had all formed opinions of their own, and Shikimaru looked like he had something to say or comment upon, but they were patiently waiting for their Hokage to speak first. When she had collected her thoughts, she stood up and spoke to them.

" Well, that was one heck of a long tale. I'm surprised you all made it this far alive. I'm impressed," she spoke to them, and Hiroshi sensed a hint of affection in her voice. " I must say, finally bringing down an organization of this size, which given your limited skills and unfavourable situation, is quite a feat. You have done a service to your village, and my only regret is the best I can offer you right now is…well, thank you."

" Bwahahaha, to have the Hokage thank me personally, I think it was worth it that I went through so much shit!" Sora laughed loudly, much to the chagrin of everyone in the room besides her.

" And you too, our Sand allies. I apologise that you had to go so far when it was us that offered to help you in the first place," Tsunade replied, turning to Makoto and his team.

" Well, I'm just glad we could help," Makoto replied.

" …Urm, Hokage?" Suzumi asked nervously.

" Yes, what is it?" Tsunade asked.

" I want to know if you managed to find out anything about Hayate," Suzumi asked.

" Due to 'recent' developments, border security has been lax in the northern countries, so with some luck we managed to have some of our people infiltrate the Blood Country to scout out on what was happening," Tsunade replied almost as if she was expecting this question. " We went digging for a little bit, and with some help from our Cloud allies, we managed to find out a bit."

" Hayate was from a small clan which was renowned for their intellectual capabilities. His mother, Aki Yukimura, was the daughter of the clan leader at that time when civil war was rampant throughout the land. The country was always mired by conflict, and through all that the clan suffered a lot, including the loss of their leader. Her marriage to Juuzou was to consolidate an alliance of sorts, which Juuzou used to his advantage."

" Hayate was noted to be an exceptional shinobi. He had very excellent photographic memory, being able to recall details of things he had seen or read only once. He has exceptionally high IQ, but he has been noted that he purposely flunks his tests to not give a definite gauge to his mental capabilities. However, due to the massive power struggle between the people holding power in his country, namely his father and his uncle, there was little he could do. While I suppose he did use you all to free his country, it was because he had little left to fight for. His mother was executed for 'treason', and his fiancée died of 'unknown' circumstances. Any other relatives or people he knew or worked with have pretty much died within the last 3 years," Tsunade replied.

" But why would Juuzou go to this extent?" Suzumi asked.

" Because he was intent on keeping his power. Do note that the Blood Country will elect their leadership due to inheritance. Hayate was pretty much primed to take over, and Juuzou was using everything he can to prevent that. He has too much monopoly at stake, and without his leadership status, he wouldn't be able to run his 'organisation' that flawlessly without all the resources. Also contributing to the fact that Hayate hates his guts, and you have a very dangerous person to have around."

" Hayate wanted to change that. The citizens of the Blood Country have been living in poverty ever since the last major civil war, and the population is suffering. Juuzou had transformed the country to an almost military state, where he would reap in all the wealth of the nation at the cost of its future. Any form of outside intervention would be seen as an aggressive attack on their country, and the people's willpower was too weak to try to correct their leader's mistake, no thanks to their inherent need to require the royal bloodline to be passed down, so much that they are more willing to keep a tyrant like Juuzou than replace him. Hayate possibly realized that his country was stuck in an endless cycle, so he figured the best way to change that was to destroy its core directly and completely, with the people with the best intentions to do so."

" The Blood Country is in constant chaos now. With the void of power and lack of higher command, there is rioting and fighting in the streets. I don't think we will see a peaceful end to it sometime soon," Tsunade concluded. " Still, time will soon mend wounds, and perhaps the country will slowly pick itself up after all its misery one day to become what Hayate might have envisioned it to be."

" …He may be a hero martyr, but he's still an absolute prick. Fuck him, I say," Sora snorted. Hiroshi noticed a vein popping on Tsunade's forehead, even though she was still smiling. He had to remind himself to restrain Sora from any more vulgar outbursts or else they would have a field day fixing her up in the hospital once Tsunade was done beating the shit out of her.

" Also, I see an extra in your group. May I know who she is?" Tsunade piped up all of a sudden.

All eyes turned to the small figure standing behind Hiroshi. Miyako was trying to hide herself behind him, and since she was so small and petite, she was doing a pretty good job at that, managing to conceal herself behind him despite Hiroshi only having an average build. She looked at Tsunade curiously, although Hiroshi hoped she didn't look to hostile.

" …She's…well, a rogue shinobi we met along the way. She lost her family when she was young, and she didn't really have anywhere to go, so the organization picked her up. She did, however, help us out when we went to apprehend Naoto," Hiroshi spoke up.

" Not before almost killing all of us, that little…ouch!" Sora responded, only to be silenced by Mayuri and Ryouta, who kicked her hard in her shins to shut her up.

" …So, what do you plan to do with her?" Shikimaru asked this time around.

" Actually, if you don't mind, I was hoping that she could stay here. If she is willing to help out, perhaps she can enroll in the Academy. After all, she is still young," Hiroshi replied.

" …You intend to enroll a kid who can potentially trash you with genins?!" Sakura asked.

" She has been through a lot, and I cannot say whatever she had done was right or wrong. But I think she deserves a second chance, a clean slate, so to speak. If you have any concerns about her, I can most certainly vouch for her, and I will keep an eye for her," Hiroshi replied, going around and putting his hand on her shoulders. " In fact, I've decided to adopt her."

" What?!" Makoto and Ryouta exclaimed at the same time.

" That's awesome!" Mayuri exclaimed.

" Shut up, all of you!" Shikimaru snapped back. " Hiroshi, are you serious?"

" Of course, I am absolutely serious about it. I have given it some thought, and I suppose I'm only barely 19, but I am fully committed to take care of her, to the best of my capabilities," Hiroshi replied.

" …So, do I call you dad now?" Miyako asked, looking up at Hiroshi.

" Hmm, it does sound too old. Calling me brother will be just fine," Hiroshi answered.

The entire office went a little noisy all at once, with everyone discussion the implications of Hiroshi's actions. However, the only thing he noticed was a slight tug on his arm, and he could see Miyako wrap her hand around his arm and held him tight, her eyes looking slightly teary-eyed.

" …T-Thank you…" she whispered.

" Welcome home," Hiroshi whispered back.

ooo

A soft ring brought Hiroshi back to the present. All of them rose to their feet when they saw the door to one of the testing rooms in the hospital open, and both Sakura and Suzumi emerged from within. All of them went to greet Suzumi, who looked alright, before turning to Sakura-sensei.

" Alright, it was a little tricky, but we managed to get some of the analysis right. This is a unique procedure, and I must admit a one-of-a-kind process. Splitting the mind in such a perfect, parallel form really needs some advance medical process, and I must say that I am not sure if I can repeat this. What I can say is that while both her consciousness is split now, reforming them back isn't too difficult. What they have done is placed several chakra blockers in her brain. It will be a lengthy process, but we should be able to get Suzumi back to normal," Sakura answered.

Everyone gave a loud yell of joy. Sora picked up Suzumi, kissed her on her cheek and spun her around multiple times. They guys were giving each other high-fives, and it was overall very noisy, which was actually improper and unsuitable for a hospital, but perhaps at the point they didn't really care too much. A nurse could be seen giving scathing looks at the noisy group at the end of the corridor, not before leaving with a huff.

" I will need to get some of the preparations done, so if you wish, we can start the procedure tomorrow. It will likely take some time, so you might need to be prepared for that," Sakura answered.

" …Actually, I am a little confused. I know we came here to the Leaf village because they have better medical faculties to check on my condition as to how my memory has been split into two, but did any of you actually consider the fact that I don't want to have my memories restored?" Suzumi replied.

There was an awkward moment of silence between the group.

" Wait, what do you mean, Suzumi?" Ryouta asked. " I thought…"

" You all assumed that I want to restore my memories. True, it might bring back the Suzumi you know and all, but I don't want it. This split personality has created the Aya ego in my mind, and if we do restore my original self, this second person will be gone forever. She may be part of me, but she is not me. In fact, I can even say my current conscious may even be erased when we are brought back together," Suzumi answered confidently.

" But…"

" I do not need my old life. If I have forgotten everything, then I suppose it is time for me to make new ones. I am, afterall, still myself. It is not like I can forget about the important things in life. I may have initially forgotten all about all of you, but there are still things I cannot instinctively forget," Suzumi replied.

She slowly strolled up to Makoto and Hibiki. " I know Makoto is always calm and collected, always keeping his cool and acting cool. I know I can rely on his strength and insight into things, and he is one of the most reliable persons I know of," she replied, not before tapping Hibiki on his chest. " Hibiki is course and rough, but he reminds me of an older brother, always looking after and taking care of me, regardless of the situation. You are firm, honest and loyal, qualities not derived from observation, but because I know about them instinctively."

Suzumi turned to Mayuri, throwing her hand over her in a friendly manner. " We don't mix much, but I suppose now since you are close to Makoto, we will have a lot of time to know each other. I apologise if I was not that approachable before, but I know that you are a very helpful and approachable person, and always a good company to have," Suzumi replied.

" Oh, you make me blush~" Mayuri cooed, turning red slightly.

" As for you," Suzumi turned to Sora, who was merely smirking at her. " I cannot remember much of what has happened before, but what I know is that you are one hell of a crazy chick, and there is no one I know who can get the job done better than you can, in your field of specialization. Tough, strong, and how can I forget, absolutely reckless."

" Of course," Sora replied.

" Half of what she says, if taken in another context, would actually sound like she was insulting you," Hibiki chuckled.

" Ryouta, I know that I can rely on your leadership and charismatic skills. I know that you are stout and loyal at heart, and I know that you will always be true to me. You are a good friend, and I know that you will never give up on me, in whatever the situation," Suzumi addressed Ryouta, who merely nodded in agreement.

" And finally, you, Hiroshi. I don't remember much, but I know you have a kind soul, kinder than most people I know. You have a gentle heart, very honest and warm, and most of all, a lot of compassion. Those are the very qualities that made me fall in love with you before, and it made me fall in love with you again, not because of our prior engagement, but what I know to be true to both of us," Suzumi spoke to Hiroshi.

Hiroshi was a little too shocked to reply. He could only stare at her in disbelief as she walked up to him, smiling as she placed her hands on is cheeks, pulling his face closer not before slowly kissing him on his lips. He could still taste the same fragrant sweetness as they kissed, something he had desperately longed for but could not bring himself to take. He felt something warm trickling down his cheeks, and it took him a while form all the confusion and shock to realize he was actually crying.

Suzumi slowly broke away, and for some reason, Hiroshi thought she never looked so beautiful in his entire life.

" I don't know why you didn't tell me before, perhaps it was the guilt of once tampering with my memories that you decided that it was unfair if you forced our relationship on me when I had forgotten everything. But, you see, I do not need to regain my old memories back, as even though I cannot remember, I will only fall in love with you again," Suzumi spoke. " Even if I was to lose my memories a thousand times over, I will only need to fall in love with you a thousand times over. Nothing else will ever change anything between us."

Hiroshi held her tightly, crying as he did so. Some part of him felt like as if a heavy burden had been lifted from within his heart. He continued to embrace Suzumi, not wanting to let her go while she held him gently in her arms in return. The rest of them merely watched as Suzumi and Hiroshi shared a tender moment together.

ooo

" So, you figured out how your bloodline ability works?" Sora asked as all of them were leaing the hospital. As Suzumi had opted not to fuse her mind back, there was nothing left to do there, and they promptly decided to leave.

" In a way," Suzumi replied. Taking a look around to see that she was not being observed, she closed her eyes slightly, not before opening them once more, only to have her left eye glowing. " The thing about the mind-split technique was that it was supposed to create two distinct personalities. With some control, I can bring two personalities up at once."

" So, we are both in control of the body at the very same time," Aya replied.

" Won't controlling the body become more difficult? I mean, if you are both issuing commands at the same time? I would think that you might have contradicting movements," Ryouta asked.

" We can sort of sense what we intend to do. It is a little give and take, but we can sort of gauge who's movements are more important, and we react accordingly. So, if let's say I am performing a medical jutsu, and Aya senses that an attack is coming from behind, she can take control and I will allow her to react to the attack instead of continuing the treatment," Suzumi answered.

" …Both of you have different senses?" Hibiki asked.

" It is more like we have two consciousness being able to utilize the maximum capabilities of our sensory organs. Suzumi can focus on her primary target, while I can utilize other senses, like sound and touch. Sensory perception is all the same, but we are only capable of focusing on a few of them. All of us are trained to sense things we cannot see, but if we are focused on something, we usually direct our mental energies to that target, and sometimes ignore our surroundings. Like this, I can fight while having like a secondary observer keeping an eye out for me," Aya answered.

" Sounds really useful," Makoto replied, sounding impressed.

" This isn't the extent of my ability. In fact, these are merely secondary abilities coming from splitting my mind," Suzumi replied.

" Oh?" Mayuri mused.

" Splitting my mind actually augments my genjutsu capabilities. Since taijutsu and ninjutsu are more physical, I can do nothing about it, but genjutsu for the most part, besides chakra control, is mentally controlled. With two personalities, we can create twice the effect when we use genjutsu," Aya replied.

" I don't particularly get it," Hiroshi replied.

" It's something like how Makoto and I use combination jutsus," Ryouta replied. " We combine our fire and wind to create a more powerful destructive attack, but that is only if we can coordinate our attacks at the same time, and when we use the correct combination. If there is anything off, we cannot attack as effectively."

" It is as he said. You cannot just combine genjutsu just like that. Most often since genjutsus go on different wavelengths, merely mashing two genjutsus can cancel each other out. That's why even using two or more people to perform multiple genjutsus takes practice, especially to preempt what your comrade is using," Suzumi replied.

" I see now. Since you are of the same mind, you know exactly what combination and how and when to use it," Hiroshi replied, realizing what she meant.

" Yes, and not only that. Genjutsu deals with tricking the five senses. If you can somehow trap a target using all five senses, he or she is basically rendered incapacitated," Suzumi replied.

" That's a theory. Theoretically speaking, nobody can actually use a genjutsu to cover all senses. Even the very best can use a genjutsu to cover 2 to 3 senses at once," Makoto spoke, only to realize something in which he said. " Wait a minute…"

" That's right. Suzumi can originally cast a genjutsu that can affect up to 3 senses, but she knows genjutsus of all types to cover all 5 senses. However, with Aya and me, we can easily cover up to 6. With enough preparation time to cast our genjutsu, we can, theoretically speaking, defeat anyone," Suzumi replied.

" Wow," Sora whistled. " If your clan's bloodline is so powerful, why haven't you taken over the world yet?"

" Because at some point in history, we decided to pick a fight with the Uchiha clan, more than a hundred years ago," Aya answered.

" …Oh," was the resounding reply from everyone, as they obviously knew the result to that conflict. No matter how powerful the genjutsus, the Uchiha clans were famous for being able to easily break them.

" I was always puzzled with my family's standing in our village. We were supposedly famous shinobi and of influence, but we were only limited to one family, mine. I felt it was a little odd that my father had so much influence as a mere shinobi, but it was the fact that my village was holding us as a weapon. He forbade me to learn genjutsu because he feared of how I might be treated as a weapon, and he was right. When I awakened this ability, I slaughtered the rest of my family in a matter of minutes as if I was merely warming up," Aya replied. " I am not bragging when I say that if I go all out, even all of you here would have trouble holding me back."

" I would agree with you. Genjutsu is already one of the hardest types of jutsu to counter, and unless you have specific anti-genjutu capabilities or skills, like the Uchiha or the Hyuuga, normal shinobi would definitely be in trouble trying to face you," Ryouta replied.

" I was annoyed with my father's choice, but I suppose he was doing all he did to protect me. My parents didn't want me to be a mere tool for the village, and they kept our true ability hidden all along," Aya answered. There was a slight pause, as if she was reminiscing about her past.

" Is this mind-split ability thing an easy thing to carry out? If so, can't genjutsu users do it to increase their abilities greatly?" Sora asked.

" It is a bloodline ability. Carrying out this procedure normally would completely fry your mind, but our brains are able to handle the massive load, so this is unique only to people of my bloodline," Aya replied. " However, since my family is dead, and I have killed off anyone else who actually had the bloodline ability, so I might very well be the last of my kind."

" I am actually curious about as to why they did this to you. I mean, why grant you this immense ability? What was in it for them?" Hibiki asked.

" The art to finalise our abilities was long lost years ago. I was merely a guinea pig to test that the technique to split the mind wasn't going to cause significant or permanent damage, or that if it actually works at all," Suzumi replied. " They didn't want to risk screwing with their brains, so they tested on me first."

" Well, that sure sucks," Sora muttered.

" So, does this mean that you will be returning back home soon?" Hiroshi asked.

" Have you forgotten? The organization may have had a hand in trying to use Suzumi, but they only managed to get inside thanks to an insider. Suzumi came here in the first place to stay away from them. Until we get the all clear sign from our Kazekage, we will be stuck here for a while," Hibiki chided.

" Hmm, this means we need to change our plans then," Mayuri remarked.

" What plans?" Sora asked.

" Having our wedding here," Makoto answered.

" W-What?!" Sora exclaimed so loudly everyone in the vicinity turned around to look at her. " Why didn't anyone tell me this?"

" Actually, they sent the invitations months ago. Ryouta and I already received them, and since you were always dead drunk whenever the topic of Makoto's fiancée comes up, I suppose you may not realize that he has been together for more than a year now," Hiroshi replied, sighing as he responded.

" Then where the hell is my invitation? I didn't receive jack shit!" Sora exclaimed.

" Did you not receive it, or did you not check? When was the last time you actually checked your mail?" Ryouta asked.

Sora made a puzzled face, not before muttering " Well, you got me there."

" Wow, that has got to be the quickest declaration of her mistake ever," Hibiki chuckled.

" Are you serious on having it here?" Hiroshi asked.

" Our date is set about a month from now. Unless we manage to fix this problem very quickly, it is highly unlikely that we will be able to go back that soon. We will probably have to have to here, unless we postpone it, which I am absolutely not in favour of," Makoto replied.

" Oh?" Ryouta and Hiroshi replied coyly.

" Don't get me wrong. It's not like I am rushing into it, but we did postpone it twice before already. I'm not one to be superstitious, but I don't want to try my luck with the third time," Makoto answered quickly.

" Hmm?~ What did you mean by that?~" Mayuri asked, leering at him.

" Absolutely nothing," Makoto replied. " Well, this isn't the official reception or anything. We will have to do that back home, but we can have a wedding dinner here. I'm sure we can arrange something."

" Well, you are in luck, because I am sure I can help out," Hiroshi bragged.

" I am sure you can. I am looking forward to this!" Hibiki replied, patting Hiroshi on his back as they made their way back home.


	54. Chapter 53: Wedding Party

**Chapter 53: Wedding Party**

A month had passed since their return from their extremely lengthy trip from the village of Blood. Hiroshi's Sand teammates had not received any word from their Kazekage that they could return, but they were making progress on their investigation, so with any luck they will be able to go back soon. Makoto, Hibiki, Suzumi and Mayuri had been stationed at his village for some time now, carrying out overseas missions for their village since they are located here.

However, today was Makoto and Mayuri's wedding dinner. It was more of a wedding party more than anything, and since they were in the Leaf village, not many of their Sand family members or friends could attend, so the party was mostly made up of any Leaf people they knew and an open invitation to any Sand shinobi within the vicinity. Hiroshi expected the crowd to be not overly large, but sizable at the very least.

Hiroshi was checking himself in the mirror. He rarely attended any parties, and this would be the first time he had to dress up this nicely to attend a wedding. He had a set of formal attire reserved for such a situation, but he figured he looked slightly awkward dressed in such a way. The tie he was wearing was annoying him, and he wondered what kind of idiot would actually want to wear this.

" I think you look handsome enough," a voice replied.

" I agree," another replied.

Hiroshi turned to the two girls who had spoken to him. Suzumi and Miyako were already dressed, and were standing outside his door. Suzumi wore a simple, light blue dress, and over the last month she let her hair grow, now hanging past her neck. She didn't bother with any make-up, and Hiroshi thought she looked pretty enough without it. Miyako had opted for a more daring outfit, a brilliant red spaghetti strap dress which he thought showed way too much skin for a girl her age, especially her shoulders and back. She had tied her hair in a stylish bun, held on by a very large golden pin stuck in the middle.

" Oh, both of you are done already?" Hiroshi asked.

" Hiroshi, we have been done for 10 minutes now, which is actually saying something," Suzumi replied, scowling sarcastically at him. Miyako merely broke into a wide grin as Hiroshi scratched his head sheepishly. " Hurry now, we don't want to be late."

" Alright," Hiroshi noted, fixing his tie not before exiting his room. He bought a place for himself last year, so he was no longer staying with his parents. His apartment block was small but fairly comfortable. It was mostly empty, as Hiroshi kept most of his shinobi equipment and weapons in a separate warehouse block his Hokage was graciously nice enough to provide him with, so his home had a very minimalistic look to it, just like they way he liked it. Although he lived alone, he had an extra bedroom to spare, so Miyako was using that one, and Suzumi shared his bedroom while she was here. " Are we going to wait for the rest?"

" They mentioned that they would head there on their own, so we will meet them there," Suzumi answered.

OOO

The wedding dinner party was held at a small yet fairly posh restaurant near the west side of the village. It had a nice, lush garden at the back for people to host parties or gatherings, which was in perfect position to view to Hokage monuments that were carved into the stone cliff.

A number of people were already around, mingling with one another. Since not many of their Sand relatives and friends could attend due to the large distance between their villages, most of the guest that were attending the wedding today are actually from Hiroshi's village, mostly made up of young shinobis whom Hiroshi and his team knew. Makoto and Mayuri know a number of them, but a good bulk of the people attending are people who they had not seen before. Hiroshi was quite surprised that Makoto was actually okay with this, preferring to have more people just to make it more lively.

" Oi, Hiroshi, you've arrived!" Hibiki called out to them.

Hiroshi spotted Hibiki standing in the middle of the garden, with a glass of beer in his hand. Surprisingly, he was surrounded by a bunch of female kunoichis, who looked like they were fawning over him. Hiroshi couldn't recall that Hibiki was actually popular with the ladies back in his village, but perhaps the girls here liked his devilish looks and roguish charms. It looked like he was entertaining them before he caught sight of them.

" …I see you have already worked your methods on the girls here," Suzumi replied.

" Oh well, can't help it. I can't seem to get them off me," Hibiki replied, grinning mischievously.

" Hey, Hiroshi, you never told us your Sand companion was this interesting," one of the girls called out to him, the whole group coming up to greet them, but to mostly follow Hibiki.

" Yeah, are all the Sand shinobis like him?" another asked.

" …I'm not sure…" Hiroshi mumbled. The girls were all around him, apparently very excited as if they had just met their idol. " …I've never seen him like this before. He sure is popular with the ladies."

" He should be, although he seems to be more popular out of the village. He doesn't usually get this much attention back in our village," Suzumi replied, not before whispering "Or at least, that's what Aya is telling me."

" Really? I'll admit that he has good looks, and the scars are something, but he's not that impressive," one of the girls in the group boldly spoke up.

" Oh, wow, that was surprising. That's a first I've heard all night," Hibiki replied, turning to the girl who had spoken up. She was quite a beauty, wearing a long, red, silky dress that reach down to her ankles. Her short silver hair was tied stylishly into a bun on her head, and her firm figure only accentuated her sharp features. She was shorter than he was, almost by 6 inches, but the way she carried herself made her look impressive enough to take on Hibiki. " I don't think we have met. What's your name?"

There was an awkward silence, and Hibiki looked around at the girls around him who were giving him puzzled looks. Even Suzumi and Hiroshi were giving him weird looks. " …Was it something I said?" he asked after a long pause, with the silver haired girl still scowling slightly at him, her arms folded.

" …Hibiki, you only know one silver haired Konoha kunoichi who insults you on regular basis," Hiroshi presented him with a hint.

" WHAT!?" Hibiki exclaimed so loud that everyone in the vicinity paused what they were doing to look at him. " …A-Are you telling me…this is Sora!?"

Hiroshi could almost see a vein pop on Sora's forehead. " You insult me…" Sora replied, scowling.

" When did you get here?" Hibiki asked.

" I arrived the same time as you did, asshole. I was next to you for the last 20 minutes or so while you were being surrounded by your fangirls," Sora answered.

" You sure look different when you try, don't you? Man, I didn't even recognize you at all. It's like you are a completely different person when you dress up nicely," Hibiki replied, grinning slightly, not before prodding her breasts with his fingers. " I also certainly don't recall your tits being this big."

" I'll kill you, you son of a bitch!" Sora shouted at him as she started to chase after him.

"…Man, never a dull moment," Hiroshi replied, sighing loudly.

" Aren't you going to stop them?" Miyako queried.

" I don't want to bother. This has happened to many times now that it's becoming something of a running gag. The best way to stop them is to not stop them. They will eventually run out of juice eventually," Hiroshi replied.

" Looks like you guys made it," Shikamaru replied, appearing behind Hiroshi along with Temari, who waved cheerfully at them. " And I see that Sora is up to her usual tricks again."

" Well, it's not like we can really help it," Hiroshi replied.

Shikamaru merely shrugged his shoulders, not before glancing at Miyako. There was an indefinite pause as he quietly stood there, observing her. Miyako curiously looked at him, and for some reason both of them stood and looked at each other, as if sizing each other out. After what felt like a minute, he patted Miyako on her head and walked off with Temari, waving at them as he walked away.

" What was that all about?" Suzumi asked. Hiroshi had a nagging suspicion he knew what his sensei was doing, but decided not to comment on the matter.

" Hiroshi, Suzumi," Ryouta called out to them. He was dressed in a tuxedo, which made him look very dashing. " Looks like the party is warming up already."

" Hey!" Miyako responded, slightly miffed that Ryouta didn't address her.

" Oops, sorry Miyako, almost didn't see you there," Ryouta replied, squatting down and patting her on her head. Since Miyako was literally still a kid, and slightly cute for that matter, a lot of people had a penchant to pat her on her head, which was very strange when she was a person capable of being a one-man army. Still, she looked very happy to be treated as such, and responded by smiling sweetly at Ryouta. " So, when it is going to be your turn?"

" Who's turn?" Hiroshi asked.

" Your turn," Ryouta answered.

" My turn for what?" Hiroshi asked.

" Getting married, of course," Ryouta replied, chuckling.

" Not anytime soon," Hiroshi replied.

" That's so sad, isn't it Suzumi?" Ryouta turned to Suzumi, who merely giggled.

" You know, if both of you get married, this means Suzumi will be my adoptive mother, legally, correct?" Miyako asked. " Does this mean I should call her mom from now on, or will that be somewhat awkward?"

" I don't mind," Suzumi answered.

" We are not married yet," Hiroshi objected.

" You make it sound like we won't," Suzumi teased him.

" Makes me feel kinda left out," Ryouta replied.

" Left out of what?" Hiroshi asked.

" Well, everyone in our group is already in a relationship or going to get married. I'm the only single guy left," Ryouta replied.

" …Did you completely forget about Sora and Hibiki?" Hiroshi asked.

" Of course not. With the way they are going, they are practically like an old married couple," Ryouta replied.

" …That is disturbing on so many levels," Hiroshi groaned.

" So, where is our main guest of honour? We cannot really start the party if the main couple isn't here," Ryouta commented.

" Makoto is over there," Miyako noted.

All of us turned to where Miyako was pointing, which was a group of young men standing together, all of them holding a glass of wine or beer in their hand, laughing and joking with one another. Initially, Hiroshi was unable to spot Makoto in the group, but he then realized why. Makoto, besides being dressed formally, also decided not to wear his forehead protector to cover his eyes, and instead wore dark sunglasses instead. Hiroshi was a little too used to seeing Makoto wearing his forehead protector is such a fashion that he didn't notice him initially, which should have been glaringly obvious since he was literally the only one wearing dark sunglasses during the party.

" Let's go greet the lucky bastard," Ryouta urged them.

They started heading off towards Makoto, who noticed them approaching him. Ryouta was the first to greet him with a hug, the force of the hug almost knocking Makoto off his feet and spilling his drink. Hiroshi shook hands with some of Makoto's friends, a few whom he recognized from some of his visits to his village.

" Glad all of you could make it," Makoto replied, not before noticing Sora was still chasing Hibiki around the compound. " Physically here at any rate."

" Sorry to barge in, but I'd like to have my husband for a minute," Mayuri's voice came out from nowhere.

She appeared behind them, dressed in a fairly provocative red dress. She had decided to keep her hair long, and once again it was almost barely reaching the ground. Despite looking like a seductress, she still had that childish grin on her face, her sharp white teeth matching her pearl earrings she was wearing.

" …Wow, very provocative attire," Hiroshi commented.

" Hiroshi, where are you looking?" Mayuri asked.

" What are you, my moral guardian?" Hiroshi huffed.

" Mayuri, you look very pretty today," one of Makoto's friends called out, while a couple more whistled at her.

" Oi, that's my wife, you assholes," Makoto replied, scowling.

OOO

The party went on until late at night, until there was barely anyone left. Only a few people were left, drinking merrily into the night. There was a full moon tonight, so even without much illumination, there was more than enough light even at that time. All of them were done eating the fantastic food spread prepared, and Hiroshi was quietly sipping his wine glass as he watched the proceedings.

" You have been quiet for a while now," Aya replied.

" Whoa! What the hell?!" Hiroshi exclaimed loudly. Thankfully, there were not many people around, or they were too drunk to have heard his shout that loud. " Don't scare me like that!"

" You say it like it's a bad thing," Aya replied, smirking.

" No shit. My first experience with you is of you stabbing me. It's not something you'd forget, even if it was an illusionary dream," Hiroshi answered, not before noticing that Suzumi's eyes were not glowing. " Huh, why aren't your eyes glowing? I thought when you have the Aya personality emerge, your eyes will glow at least."

" I'm wearing specialized contact lenses. I got them made recently, and it hides the glow in my eyes so people won't notice it. It's not suitable for combat situations though, as they can easily fall off, so I was thinking of getting goggles or something to prevent them from being seen," Aya replied.

" …I realize that being seen with glowing eyes for Suzumi would no doubt be a bad thing, but is there actually another reason why you don't want to be seen with them?" Hiroshi asked.

" She's trying to avoid being detected. Suzumi's bloodline ability is a very powerful one, and it has caused power struggles over the years. She doesn't want her ability to be known, so she's sort of trying to keep a low profile on it," Miyako answered, and Aya patted her on her head like some form of reward for answering.

" I see…then how about you?" Hiroshi asked.

" Me?"

" Perhaps you would want to hide your bloodline ability as well? I mean, having glowing blue spiral irises is not exactly very common," Hiroshi replied.

" I cannot do that. My bloodline ability relies mainly on sight, much like the bloodline abilities of the Uchiha and the Hyuuga of your village. Putting some form of covering like goggles or lenses might impair our capabilities. It is okay for Suzumi and Aya since their bloodline ability does not rely on sight," Miyako replied. " Although, I am curious about one thing?"

" What is it?" Aya asked.

" Why is it when Aya's personality surfaces, your eyes glow red?" Miyako asked.

" Well, this is merely a theory, but after Sakura and Suzumi checked our chakra nodes, we noticed when my personality surfaces, I seem to fire more chakra nodes in certain areas, and Suzumi fires chakra nodes in other areas I do not affect. For me, one of the areas is actually my eyes, so it's just merely a collection of a lot of chakra in my eyes when my personality emerges. Just like anyone with an eye based bloodline ability charges their eyes with chakra, it changes shape or colour. Similar effect here, although mine is purely decorative. My glowing eyes serve no purpose other than to glow red…and signify that I am in control right now," Aya answered.

" …Speaking of control…why are you in control now?" Hiroshi asked.

" Suzumi is taking a break, so to speak, so I am in control now," Aya answered.

" …You mean she is resting?" Hiroshi asked.

" Yeah, for the most part, when one of our personalities surfaces, the other, while sort of aware of what is going on, is lying dormant, something akin to sleeping. So, we can sort of mentally take turns sleeping. Also, regardless of what you think, we are actually still two personalities residing in one body. We have agreed to take turns being in control. Suzumi is usually in control much more than I am because it is easier to interact using her personality compared to mine," Aya replied.

" No doubt…hmm, does this actually mean I'm actually in a relationship with two girls?" Hiroshi mused.

" Well, at least you are in a relationship. That has to count for something," Hibiki replied, coming over while carrying a sloshed Sora, who looked like she had one drink too many. She was already out, her breath reeking with alcohol. " Look at her, completely out of it. I still find it surprising she can look good in a dress."

" …You are lucky she is sloshed, if not you'd get a sound trashing, regardless if that was some form of praise," Hiroshi commented.

" Whatever man, like I care," Hibiki replied, shrugging his shoulders. " Anyway, she's useless and in a drunken heap now. I'm going to take her back to her room. Maybe you guys should head back too. It's getting kinda late."

" I was hoping to wait for Ryouta," Hiroshi replied.

" …Actually, I saw him exit the party like almost an hour ago with some hot chick. I think her name was Aiko, or something like that," Hibiki responded.

" …Huh?" Hiroshi mused.

" What? Your best friend can't go out with a girl without you harping about it?" Aya chided him.

" No, it's not it. Truth be told, I already knew he had this thing for this girl, and her name is Airi, not Aiko. You do realize what time it is?" Hiroshi asked.

" It's…well, close to midnight…oh," Hibiki mused, before he realized it too. Aya seemed to catch on as well.

" I don't get what's going on," Miyako replied.

" …Long story short, our good friend Ryouta has this penchant for waiting for the midnight to come and stare at the sky when the time comes. He has been doing this for his entire life, and it is almost unthinkable that he would actually miss a session. We usually hang out together at midnight just to keep him company," Hiroshi answered. " Although lately, I think ever since he came back he has not waited for the midnight sky since. I thought he was recouperating, but it should be fine now."

" Sounds like a chakra seal," Miyako remarked.

" …A what now?"

" A specialized mental chakra seal. Quite possibly one has been placed on him. It gives him a strong 'feeling' when he sees whatever picture that has been captured by his eyes when the seal is place. It was used as a very old technique where they would brainwash spies to keep their identities hidden from their enemies as they cannot fully remember who they are, but the chakra seal was put in place to remind them of who they really were when they see a familiar sight, either their superior or a person, which would elicit a strong 'response'. I believe that was what happened to your friend Ryouta," Miyako replied, not before turning to Hiroshi " As a medic-nin, I'm surprised you didn't actually think of it."

" Well…" Hiroshi replied, scratching his head sheepishly. While it seemed very logical now that Miyako had pointed it out, Hiroshi had probably gotten too used to Ryouta's quirk to have realized it sooner.

" If he has not been bothered about the midnight sky now, either the seal has been broken, or he has found the significance behind the seal or who placed it there, thus diminishing the 'need' to see it," Miyako answered.

" That's all fine and well, but I have been drinking a lot, and I didn't understand half of what you just said. I'm going to cart this cow off now, cos she is heavy and heavily drunk," Hibiki replied, not before trotting off, carrying a still-unconscious Sora away.

" You think they will be okay?" Mayuri chipped in, as both Makoto and Mayuri joined Suzumi.

" Are 'you' going to be okay?" Makoto asked.

" I'm fine. I didn't drink any alcohol. I'd be bad for the babies," Mayuri replied.

" Yeah, that's why I am asking. You'd usually be sloshed and extremely chipper…well, more than normal at any rate, by now," Makoto replied.

" Have you thought of names for your kids yet?" Suzumi asked.

" Daigo for the boy, Hinako for the girl," Mayuri answered quickly.

" I did not say yes to that yet," Makoto replied.

" You might not have any say in that matter actually," Hiroshi replied, and all of them laughed at his comment as the night dawned until the next day.


End file.
